Changes in the Moonlight
by o0CrimsonsDragon0o
Summary: Sequel to Fresh Meat. Follows Remus and Lydia through the period before and during the Harry Potter series. Rating might change in future, but probably not
1. Chapter 1

Alright, everyone. School is out so for the time being, I am free to write. I hope. Whatever. Here is the first chapter (I know it's short. sorry) of my sequel to Fresh Meat. Warning: this story won't be as lighthearted as my last one- i'm trying to keep with the storyline, which gives Remus a hard life. It won't be horribly depressing, but still. I warned you. Also, I won't update nearly as quickly as I did for the first set. I had the whole story written out before I posted the first chapter last time. But this time, I'll post as I write. So don't forget to review and let me know what you think! Thank you, everyone who let me know that they wanted me to continue this. I hope I won't disappoint. And without further ado, chapter 1!

I stood outside the Potter's house. Well, it used to be their house. Now it's rubble. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn't believe it. How could things have gone so terribly wrong?

It had been four years. Just four. Things were so simple back at Hogwarts. We had our little dramas, but nothing like this. The Dark Lord began terrorizing people, threatening to destroy our world in favor of his own, so Dumbledore created the Order of the Phoenix. We were almost done with our seventh year, too. Technically, none of us graduated, opting to fight instead of staying at the school. Dumbledore said we were getting field experience. It was nasty, but we were together. Things were so different in the war. Nothing was normal. Being First Order of Merlin and High Wizard of Wizendmont, Professor Dumbledore was allowed to perform marriages. Lily and James got married at the Order headquarters by him. So did me and Remus. We were all honored he'd do that for us, but what was normal about it? Course, it might have been more normal if we didn't have to change out of our nice clothes to stop a Death Eater raid during the Potter's reception.

Those memories were bittersweet, but at least we were alive and together. We were a pack. The roar of a motorcycle made me turn. Sirius rode up and landed a few feet from me. He hadn't changed much through the years. He was handsome as ever. Perhaps a bit older looking, but that only made him look better. Sirius' hair was shorter, which added to the dashing look. But there was no trace of the smile he almost always sported.

"Thank Merlin. I'm glad you made it, angel." He looked around, dismounting. "Where's Moony?" he asked. I shook my head.

"He went out with my dad. Didn't say where. But they were gone when I got your message," I told him, referring to the patronus he sent earlier. Sirius said he had a bad feeling and that we should check on the Potters. We had learned throughout the war that Sirius' feelings were normally right. He frowned slightly at that, but he didn't say anything. Lately, he had been acting rather cool toward my husband, but I could never figure out why. Remus was acting the same way toward him. Whenever I asked either, they would simply shake their heads, looking thoughtful and sad. Sirius didn't have that thoughtful, sad look this time though. His face was pale and agonized. I couldn't blame him. His best friend was just murdered. Mine too…

"Oh, geez, Lydia, don't cry. I won't be able to keep myself together if you cry," he pleaded, voice already becoming strained. Sirius dug around in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. I took it and blew my nose.

"Thanks. I don't-" I stopped, frowning.

"What? It wasn't that dirty, was it?" he asked. His small attempt at a smile was completely hallow.

"No…I…I smell something," I responded, sniffing around the house. I may be in human form, but my senses were well above par thanks to my, ah, condition. Sirius sneered.

"Yeah. Blood and betrayal."

"Yes, blood. But it's still fresh. Something is alive in there."

"WHAT? Where?" A few sniffs later, I was able to place it. After giving Sirius an approximate area, I sent Dumbledore a patronus, telling him we have a survivor. By the time I had finished, my friend had cleared away the rubble around what used to be the nursery. We found Lily dead.

But her baby was alive. Scraped up a bit, but very much alive. Sirius took the sleeping (unconscious?) baby and handed him to me.

"Hold him. I'll…I'll get Prongs and Lily out." He was crying silently, but I didn't comment. Little Harry was fine. Sleeping soundly. _Poor Harry. He's going to live with this until the day he dies._ Silently, Sirius pulled the dead couple from the wreckage.

"Hullo," came a gruff voice from behind us. We turned, wands raised.

"Oh, hello, Hagrid," Sirius said, voice cracking again. "Come meet my godson." He looked at Harry then broke down crying. I didn't know what to do. I'd never seen Sirius really cry like that before. Hagrid took a few big steps forward and pulled the man into a consoling hug. He shook in the half-giant's comforting hold, his sobs muffled by Hagrid's bulk.

"There, there. I know. 'S'all righ'." I went forward and used my free hand to rub Sirius' back, now that Hagid was loosening his hold.

"It's all my fault," he said through his sobs. We assured him that it wasn't but he kept saying it over and over again, mostly to himself. After a minute, my friend stood back completely and let me give him a half hug of my own. He nodded to let me know that he was under control, so I nuzzled his neck affectionately. The full moon was about a week away; my wolf instincts had taken over. No one ever minded when that happened, though.

"Listen, Black, you can' keep him," the half-giant told him mournfully. Sirius took the still sleeping baby from my arms and held him close.

"What are you talking about, Hagrid? I'm his godfather. I'm supposed to take care of him. We've got each other, now," he added to Harry, who woke up to his voice. It tore me up to see my friend like that. His face was still tear-streaked and there was so much pain there, I was afraid he'd break down again. But he held it together this time. Hagrid shook his head, beetle black eyes sharing that pain. He knew what he was asking Sirius to give up.

"I'm sorry. But I got me orders from Dumbledore. 'E wants me to take him to his aunt an uncle." I looked back and forth between the two. Sirius loves that boy but…

"Dumbledore has his reasons, I'm sure," I murmured. Sirius opened his mouth to argue but changed his mind. His face became hard.

"Right. Keep him safe, Hagrid. And take the bike. It's enchanted to fly so you should get wherever faster. I…won't need it where I'm going." He gave the boy a kiss on his new lightning scar before handing him gently to Hagrid and turned.

"Sirius?" I asked, worried. I'd never seen that look before. He shook his head and pulled me into a strong hug. He was still shaking a little, though.

"It's my fault. I gotta fix it."

"That's fine. I'll…" I looked at the still forms of my friends, "take care of things here," I finished softly. Hagrid bade us farewell and, with the roar of the flying motorcycle, was off. Sirius kissed my forehead.

"Give Moony my best," he whispered, then disapparated.

An hour later, I went home.

"Where were you?" Remus demanded, angry and relieved. Dad started at his voice, waking from his doze in our green armchair.

"I left you two a note on the- oh wait. I meant to leave you a note but couldn't find a pen. Um, sit down, please, love." Wearily, he obliged. I kneeled on the floor next to him and took his hand.

"The Dark Lord is dead. But so are James and Lily." He stared at my tired face. I was cried out.

"The Potters? Really?" asked my dad, leaning forward in concern. Remus only stared, open mouthed. "Didn't they have a son?" he asked. I nodded to him.

"Yeah, Dad. But he's fine."

"That can't be right," Remus finally said, standing up. I stared. He wasn't usually so abrupt.

"I know it's hard to take in, but-"

"No, you don't understand!" he near shouted. My husband forced himself to calm down before speaking again. "If they were murdered, that means the Secret Keeper either told or died." I continued staring, not understanding what he was getting at.

"Lydia. Sirius was their Secret Keeper."


	2. Chapter 2

It had been almost half a year, but the sting was still there. None of us mentioned any of their names anymore. Lily, James, Peter…especially Sirius. It was all his fault, anyway. But if we pretended it didn't happen…it's horrible, but neither Remus nor I could talk about them without getting upset. Dad wasn't very close to any of them, but he didn't want to hurt us. Apart from that, we were…fairly happy. I mean, we live with my Dad. We work for him, too. It's not bad- nowhere near it. IT's a small house behind a diner he owns on the edge of a small Muggle town. My family was always distant when it come to socializing, so no one really knew or cared about me and Remus. We liked it better that way. Since Mom died in the war, it was just the three of us. We were content.

I wish it lasted longer.

Dad was dozing in his comfy armchair. His glasses were threatening to fall of his round face and his dark hair fluttered when the oscillating fan blew in his direction. Remus was stretched out on the faded blue rug with a book as I had claimed the couch to lay on with my own book. It was rather warm for it being mid-March, but that had just added to the laziness of the evening.

"It's almost midnight. Should we wake him up?" Remus asked from his comfortable position on the floor. His amber eyes didn't stray from his book. I looked over at Dad and shook my hand with a soft smile.

"Nah. He's comfortable. I, however, will turn in." I closed my book and stretched before getting off the couch. Pulling out the scrunchie that kept my hair in a ponytail, I debated on whether or not to sleep in what I was wearing. The ankle length leggings were soft and I normally wore a really long T-shirt to bed, anyway. Remus looked at the door and frowned. I didn't have to ask what was wrong; I smelled them too. _How did they find us?_ "Daddy!" I shouted, startling him awake. His looked around, confused. "Daddy, get up. Death Eaters." He pulled himself to his feet and patted his robe for his wand. After a brief moment of thought, he went to the bookcase. Remus and I pulled out our wands, ready for battle.

"How far?" Dad asked, pulling out a gun from his hide-a-way book and pocketing it.

"Two minutes, tops," I told him. He nodded and told me to put on my shoes. I did as I was told before stepping into the backyard, the other two right behind me. We didn't have to wait long. Spells came out of the darkness, followed closely by the masked wizards and witches that had cast them. Remus fired his own curses while I cast protective spells. Dad pulled out his gun and fired it at the lot. Out of the eight that were there, he took down two. I couldn't help but smile. Daddy loved to pull that one on the Death Eaters. They never expected a muggle weapon so they didn't defend against it. After their comrades went down, the rest of them put up spells to protect against such things. I didn't matter, though; Dad used up all six bullets hitting the two wizards anyway.

"Nice shots, sir," Remus said in-between hexes.

"Thank you, my boy," he replied easily.

"Concentrate!" I urged, hitting another in the chest. Gasping, she fell to the ground. (Having your lungs shriveled will do that) I ignored the vows of revenge from the others. _There's only five left. We can do this…I think. _We ignored the taunts of 'muggle lovers' and 'traitors' and whatnot, not really caring. I had learned to not say anything to them, knowing that the silent opponent was the unnerving one. When Remus knocked one out, Dad gave out laugh.

"We'll have them out of our hair in time to get a proper night's rest." The Death Eaters actually laughed at him and we didn't have to wait long to find out why. Four more Death Eaters showed up. One of them was cackling like a crazy person.

"Perhaps not," Remus said darkly after dodging another curse. He recognized her, too. "What do you want, Bellatrix?" he called. She giggled even more.

"Just dropping by for a spell," Sirius' cousin called back, throwing a few dark ones while she was at it. I admit it, I was more than scared of her, I was terrified. Bellatrix is powerful, sadistic, and insane. Not a good combination. Just having her help renewed the fighting spirit of the other Death Eaters. They attacked more vigorously. A few moments later, a jinx sent me flying.

"Lydia!" Remus shouted, turning his attention to me. As soon as he did, he got hit, too. My husband started throwing up and wouldn't stop. Pretty soon, he'd puke out his stomach. I cast the counter spell, but Bellatrix was on me for my trouble. The heavy-lidded woman laughed as she tackled me to the ground. We wrestled in the yard, forgetting about magic and instead using our fists and nails. We clawed at each other, snarling like the civilized ladies we were. Finally, someone blasted her off me. I think it was Dad, seeing as Remus was still hacking and catching his breath. Dad ran in front of me to deflect an oncoming blast.

"Get out of here." I shook my head, knowing I must by dazed.

"What?" I asked, getting to my feet.

"There is no way we can beat them. So run, you two. I'll hold them off." I looked him up and down, momentarily ignoring the attack on us. My father was bleeding from multiple lacerations and was breathing heavily. I could tell how weak he was but his eyes…there was such determination there.

"Daddy, I can't leave you." He pushed me toward Remus.

"I couldn't save your mother. But I can save you. Or at least give you a fighting chance. Now go!" he commanded before sending another volley at the Death Eaters. I ran over and nearly dove onto Remus, apparating as I did so.

"I love you, Daddy," I whispered as my magic snatched us away. We reappeared just outside of Hogsmeade.

"What in Merlin's name were you thinking, Lydia? We left him to die!" he accused, getting off the ground. I turned away so he wouldn't see my tears and tried to keep my voice as level as possible.

"Daddy told us to get out. He sacrificed himself so we could live."

"He was your father!"

"He was dying," I shot back, facing him, tears or no. Remus looked stunned. I knew why he was so unsettled by my cold action, so I refused to get mad at him. Taking a deep breath, I explained. "Daddy was dying of a broken heart. He only held on because of us. And with his wounds tonight…I can't begrudge him for wanting to be with Mum again. As injured as he was, even if we made it to St. Mungo's, he wouldn't have made it. I don't think he would have wanted to." Remus wrapped his arms around me, whispering how sorry he was. It was strange how detached I felt. I was sad that my Daddy was gone, but at the same time, it felt like just another day in the war. It wasn't so long after the darkness of the war and my feelings were still operating as they had then- serious at battle and distant when I lost someone. But no matter.

"What now?" I asked him. He paced for a few moments, thinking hard. We thought we wouldn't have to worry about this sort of thing once the war was over, so our plans weren't current. _Sloppy. That's what we are. Sloppy and stupid. _

"I'll go back. Don't give me that look. I'll go and see about your father and grab our safety box. Some clothes, too if I can manage it."

"Fine," I conceded. "Then what? Where can we go? What do we do?" Remus took me in his arms for a brief hug.

"We'll talk about that when I get back. Wait for me in the Three Broomsticks. Don't worry. We'll…we'll think of something, darling." His face was clear of worry, but I could see the trouble in his eyes. Then he was gone. Sighing, I made my way to the Broomsticks.

Remus' POV

Remus made sure to apparate inside their bedroom closet, just in case the Death Eaters were still there. They weren't. He was so glad that Lydia didn't come. She would have cried. He was close to tears, himself. The house was trashed and Mr. Matthews was strung up to the side of the house with 'muggle lover' painted around him. Remus took him down carefully and buried him next to his wife in the backyard._ If we stay here and they aren't caught soon, they'll be back and I won't be able to keep us safe… We won't be able to stay here. At least not for a while. _He went back inside to get what he knew they could travel with easily, telling himself to stay strong. He knew it wouldn't be easy, especially being werewolves.

Lydia was waiting for him at a back table, sipping on a glass of water. She hadn't aged much in the six years since they graduated, but she looked so much more tired. The dark circles under her eyes made them seem duller than they usually were. She had lost weight so the shadows along her cheekbones were deeper. It was times like these that Remus wondered how different she would look or act if he hadn't bitten her. Maybe then she wouldn't be so tired and worn out. She wouldn't be so worried. It's always hard to find someone that would employ a werewolf. He put the bags down before sitting down heavily. She looked at him, studying his face. After a moment, she nodded and looked back at her water. He didn't have to say anything- his wife knew.

"So what now?" she asked quietly.

"We have to leave. For a while, at least. I just don't know where we could go." Lydia looked at him for a few moments, her chocolate brown eyes set. Remus always loved her eyes. Even when it gets close to the full moon and her eyes take on a slightly amber shade like his own, he still loved them.

"The muggle world." That took him by surprise.

"Why?" He asked.

"Muggles have romanticized things like us and vampires. Werewolves are just stories to them, so they won't suspect. You said you wanted to see the world. We can go to a city, stay until they start thinking something funny about us, and then move on." He nodded slowly. _It can work. It won't be easy, but we can do it. I hope. _Yes, things would be so much simpler for her if he hadn't turned her.

"We're going to hate living with no magic." She shrugged at his flat words.

"As long as we're alive and together, I don't care." He took her hands in his and kissed her fingertips gently.

"Where first, my lovely Lydia?" She gave her husband a weary smile.

"Russia is nice this time of year." He made a face.

"Russia is not nice any time of year," he retorted. She shrugged again and he sighed. "Russia it is."


	3. Chapter 3

I yawned as I jiggled the key into the door of our American motel room. It had been a long day and I was ready to fall into bed.

"Remus?" I called softly when I opened the door. The light was on, but I didn't see him. He came out of the bathroom a few moments later, towel-drying his light brown hair. Another towel was loosely tucked around his waist. I smiled wearily at him and sat on the bed. See, now I know I'm tired- I'm too worn out from work to even properly enjoy that sight.

"Hey. How was work?" he asked. I gave him my 'don't ask and I won't lie to you' face. He nodded and sat next to me. "Yeah, mine too." Remus wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled my neck. I couldn't help but smile at the affection.

"All right, already. Let me take a shower," I told him. He chuckled and let me up, giving my butt a playful swat. "Ow. Careful, love. That's sore." He frowned.

"Why?" I rolled my eyes and started to undress.

"Because waitresses get no respect." I didn't think being a waitress was so bad, but when the late night drunks and men with no decency rolled in, my poor rear end got its share of pinching and slaps.

"And you didn't mention this before now because?" my husband growled. I shivered a little; I love it when he makes that noise.

"Because I thought you'd overreact. Don't worry about it. I can't lose this job. We're barely making it as it is. I don't want to move again before we need to or mind-wipe the manager into thinking we already paid. Again." He nodded and let me finish getting ready for my shower. He was quiet and I could feel his sadness. This wasn't the life I wanted either, but at least we were together. It had been about seven years since we first went on the run, sticking to muggle towns and moving whenever people got suspicious. It was a little fun at first, but it got harder with every friend we had to leave behind. We didn't want to live this way, but we had little choice. Remus blamed himself entirely. I didn't. Things happen and we just got to take it and go with it. Wanting to lighten the mood, I snuck up behind him and snatched the towel from around his waist, leaving him exposed and wrapping myself in it.

He was more than a little stunned by the sudden exposure and yelped.

"Thanks, love," I told him with a wink and went into the bathroom. I didn't bother closing the door, though.

"That wasn't funny. It's cold," he complained.

"That's what pants were created for," I told him, as if explaining to a child, while I got in the shower. A few minutes later, I was reveling in the warm water.

"How do hot dogs sound for dinner?" he asked, though sounding a little far off because of the shower. I crinkled my nose a little. They weren't bad, but they weren't amazing either. My biggest problem was that I could never figure out what was in them. _Bloody Americans._

"Sure. That's fine." All of a sudden, the water became ice cold. "Not fine! Not fine!" I reached down and turned the knob back to warm water while my husband laughed and went to make supper.

Remus' POV

They sat at the tiny table with our hot dogs and knock off brand "chips". This was normal, sad to say. He watched his mate slather her hot dog with ketchup and relish. _That's strange. Lydia hates pickles. She's been eating a little more lately, too. Stress, perhaps? _

"Lydia?"

"Hmm?" she asked around her hot dog.

"Are you ok? Are _we_ ok?" She put down her food with a confused expression on her face.

"I'm fine. I'm pretty sure we're ok. Are you?" He nodded dismissively.

"I mean are you happy with me?" Her confused expression melted into a softer one. She got up to give him a hug around the shoulders.

"Oh, sweetie. We've been together for years. If I wasn't happy, I would have left. But you're my mate. I'm happy as long as I'm with you." He nodded and kissed the arm that was closest to his lips. Maybe it was the soap she was using, but she smelled different. When she stood up to back around, I realized something else, now that I was looking for it. She had gained a little weight. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll love her no matter what she looks like. But, being werewolves, our metabolism works faster than humans and we burn off calories like crazy when we transform. I shook my head. _This is probably nothing. I'm over thinking things…_

Lydia's POV

I sat in the bathroom at work, staring at the cursed piece of plastic in my hands. _I should have seen this coming. We are so screwed. What will we do? Oh, Merlin. How do I tell Remus?_ Shaking my head, I threw away the pregnancy test with contempt. I left the stall and washed my hands, thinking, knowing we could never raise a child on the run and that our constant apparations could potentially be harmful to the baby. _Is it safe to go back? It's been years so maybe the townsfolk have forgotten about the battle and Daddy's mysterious death. _

Going back to Remus that night…it was harder than confronting him after he first bit me. I stood in front of the door for five minutes, hand on the handle. _What are you doing? Just go in. It will be fine. We'll figure something out. Just go inside and tell him. _I didn't budge. _Damn it. I'm a Gryffindor. Courage. Go in._ I turned the handle.

"Lydia?" I jumped, not expecting my husband to be behind me.

"Remus! You startled me." He nodded slowly, obviously suspicious. He was right to be. I should have felt his presence or caught his scent, close as the full moon was. He pushed the door open and walked inside. I followed hesitantly. "Weneedtotalk," I blurted out. His face remained stoic but he nodded and sat down on the bed, offering a hand for me to take. He guided me beside him. I took a deep breath. "Remus, I'm-"

"Pregnant. I know." I blinked, surprised. Annoyance came quickly after.

"You _knew_?" He nodded.

"I figured it out yesterday. I suspected, anyway. Your reaction only confirms it." I swatted him lightly on the arm before lying down.

"What are we going to do, love? Do you think we can go home?" Remus lied down next to me.

"I think so. I skipped work to visit the Ministry in England. I have most the paperwork done…but the finer details we'll have to figure out together." I smiled slightly and snuggled up to him. He was always one step ahead of me and always taking care of me to the best of his abilities. The people in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures were generally difficult and were usually even more so when it came to werewolves. Werewolves fall into two different Divisions and neither actually like dealing with anything. If we went to the Being Division, they'd send us to the Beast Division…and when we went there, they'd only send us back. It's a pain in the arse and I always hate going through it.

"So what now?" I asked.

"We move again. Hopefully for the last time."

The next night, we sat in the living room of my old house. It was so strange…it felt like only a few days ago that we had that horrid battle in the backyard. But it had been much longer and the dust gathered over everything only proved it. I had spent the entire day making the house fit for human (and werewolf) habitation while Remus took care of matters around town. We still didn't know how we were going to make a proper living. A few fast food places had set up shop in the time we were gone and our own family diner wasn't going to cut it.

"I was thinking," Remus said into the weary silence.

"Well, that's dangerous," I joked. He didn't acknowledge it.

"The diner should have a theme, you know? A gimmick. What's popular in the muggle world right now?" I yawned.

"I don't know, dear. Depends on the target crowd, I suppose. Can we talk about this in the morning? I spent four hours making sure our cellar is still werewolf-proof. I hate hiding at home, but…" I sighed. "Good night."

What seemed like only ten minutes later, I was awoken by my husband's cheerful face and the morning sun.

"Good morning!"

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" I grumbled and pulled the covers over my head.

"Don't be that way, Lydia," he chastised and pulled away the covers. "Not when I figured it out." Curiosity won out over sleep. How, I have no idea.

"Have what figured out?" I asked, sitting up and stretching.

"Where is the best place to hide something?" I blinked blearily at him.

"Hogwarts? Gringotts?" I ventured. He shook his head.

"Perhaps. But no. The best place is in the open. We just tell everyone we're werewolves." I stared at him like he was mad. "Hear me out. Most diners are only open during the day, right? We'll have night hours. Start around 8 and go till 4. We make it a sort of monster hang out theme."

"Why in the name of all that is sacred would we want to do that? Who would care?" My mate grinned wolfishly.

"Teens to forties. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, dragons, elves, monsters and creatures of all kinds have been romanticized by the muggles. They eat it up. Do you remember Halloween a few years back? All the teens were dressed in sexy little numbers. When we asked what they were, they told us they were vampires." I shook my head then buried my face in my hands, forcing myself to take in all the information.

"Do you really think this can work?" I finally asked, voice muffled by my hands. "It sounds ridiculous."

"But it isn't what you think. It's what they think. We give the crowd a place to hang out after dark and delicious food to eat, they'll enjoy it. Especially with young waiters and waitresses dressed up. Aaaaand, as the owners, our gimmick is that we're werewolves so during the full moon, we're always gone. And if anyone hears us while we're locked up, we claim it's a recording to add credibility to our 'legend'." I mulled it over for a few minutes then gave Remus a long kiss.

"I knew there was a reason I married you."


	4. Chapter 4

I am so so so so sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I hit a major block that wouldn't move. But no excuses! Onward and upward!

Cleaning up the house and diner were easy enough. Magic was awesome that way. But getting the diner ready for people and making it look like we were doing it by muggle means, not so much. We decided to put up big sheets so no one could see what we were doing. It would draw curiosity, but as a business, that's what we needed. Remus also played around with my dad's tools, making plenty of noise whenever people came near. A month, the last of our savings and a small loan later, we were ready to hire some employees and open up. I will admit, I didn't expect the enthusiasm to work for us.

The first day we opened for hiring, two teens came within the first hour.

"I dibbs dressing like Lestat!" the one on the right said. I stared at him. He was a tall, gangly thing with a mop of blond hair and wide, brown eyes. His slender face seemed like it almost couldn't hold in his excitement.

"No fair, mate! I don't want to be Louis," the second complained. He was taller than his friend and fairly well muscled. He had darker hair that cut short. His eyes were gray.

"How about applying first?" I asked, very much amused. They turned back to me and realized they had gotten ahead of themselves. They laughed at themselves, a little embarrassed.

"Sorry about that, mum," the first guy said. "I'm Tyler Stevenson. This is Andrew Booth. I'm 18. He's 19. And we both want to work here," Tyler said happily. I nodded and gestured to a booth for the three of us to sit at. They were eager to work somewhere that wasn't boring, even if it wasn't the best pay. They also assured me they had their own costumes and loved the idea of dressing up to work. Remus and I had agreed on three waiters while he worked the bar front and I took the kitchen. If I needed help in there, we might get some later. But as it was mostly dinner and snacks, I should be fine.

After both boys demonstrated their balance, I had them sign some papers.

"Do you know anyone else who might be interested in working here?" Andrew nodded and pulled out his mobile. After a few clicks, he put it back in his pocket and smiled at me.

"Anna will drop by in two hours to apply. She likes this sort of thing, too, so this job sounded awesome for her." I nodded and thanked them, telling them to show up the next night at 7:45pm, wearing what they wanted, so long as it was monster themed and if they both wanted to wear the same outfit, it didn't really matter.

"Hello?"

"In here, Remus!" I called from the diner kitchen. He came in and sat on the counter.

"So guess where I was," he said with a mischievous smile. That smile made it seem like we were in school again. I only shook my head.

"I don't know."

"Ministry. As werewolves opening our own business, we have to register it. When asked what we were doing with such 'insane' hours, I explained the idea for our diner. They said we have a very poor sense of humor." Then he lowered his gaze. "I also did something else while I was there. I, um, signed up to be a test subject for a wolfsbane potion." I stared at him.

"Why would you do something so chancy? Especially without telling me about it first?" I asked him, quietly. It was mostly the second part that hurt. He slid off the counter and hugged me close. I didn't return it.

"Lydia…We could use the money. And it either will or won't work. Besides, they were only taking a few subjects. If I waited to talk to you first, the spot would be gone. I would have if I had time." I nodded and wrapped my arms around him. A soft knock at the kitchen door caused us to look over. A slender girl of about 18 or so stood there, looking rather awkward. She wasn't much taller than me and had waist length black hair that complemented her willowy frame. Her hazel eyes showed how awkward she felt.

"I…could come back later…?"

"Oh, no. I'm sorry. Anna, correct?" I asked. She wore a school girl uniform, which made me frown a little. If she was still in school, we couldn't keep her out so late. The boys had worn T-shirts and jeans. "Are you still attending school, Anna?" I asked. She shook her head empathetically.

"No, mum. I just spent the morning with my grandmum and this is the only thing in my closet that she approves of." I nodded in understanding.

"I hear you like to dress up." She nodded hard. Remus smiled and kissed my cheek before leaving.

"I really like to make costumes. I made Ty's and Andy's, too." After putting her through the same loops as the boys, I found her acceptable.

A year and a half later, I had pups. Well, they looked like babies, but to us and the night group, they were our pups. I had triplets, which while not likely for a human that doesn't have that in the genetic line, was very likely for wolves. We had Michael Remus, Alexander Jason, named for my dad, and Ariilyn Artemis, named for his mother.

It was four years later, however, when things turned around for us. It was pretty normal for a Saturday night. The Lounge was fairly crowded and about half the patrons were dressed up. Well…most of them weren't exactly dressed up. They were dressed normally for witches, wizards, a couple vampires and a hag. Pretty good turnout considering our ex-friend was on the loose. The normal deadening feeling came back into my stomach at the thought of that…_dog_, but I shook it off, refusing to think about it.

"This is table four's and this one is table five's, Lestat," I told Ty as I handed him the plates of munchies.

"But of course!" he said with a flourish. I rolled my eyes. Anna came up a few minutes later.

"Mrs. Lupin? There's an old guy who wants to talk to Mr. Lupin. Do you know where he is?" She was forcing herself to keep a straight face, which meant he was probably dressed up, too. Dressed up old people always gave her the giggles. I nodded.

"He's checking on the kids. Where's the 'old guy'?" Anna pointed to the far corner. He wore long, purple wizard's robes with a matching hat. Even from the kitchen door, I could see his blue eyes twinkling from behind half-moon spectacles. Air caught in my lungs.

"Mrs. Lupin? Are you ok?" Anna asked. I nodded.

"Yes, sorry. Um, run to the house out back and get him." She nodded. "And don't trip on your bandages, this time!" I called after her. She made an adorable mummy princess. Even dressed as a dead Egyptian, she managed to make it look almost fashionable. Her only problem was that when she moved too quickly, she sometimes tripped over the bandages that trailed a little off her legs. I shook my head and went to see Professor Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Professor." He smiled at me.

"Why, Lydia. Don't you look lovely." I smiled and shook my head, asking what I could get for him. He asked for a sherry and to talk to my husband.

"He'll be here soon. I'll get your sherry."

Remus' POV

Three children ran into the Lounge, followed by their tired father and giggling mummy friend. The full moon was only a week away and the wolfsbane potion did nothing to ease the pain and stress leading up to the transformation. The pups were supposed to be in bed, but when Anna came to get Remus, they were all wide awake all over again. Of course, all Anna said was an old guy wanted to talk to him and described the visitor. Remus sighed and wondered aloud what Dumbledore was doing all the way out here. Once they heard his name, they wanted to meet him, having heard plenty of stories about the great Dumbledore. And who was he to refuse? They ran to the table, remembering not to get in the way of the servers, and gaped openly.

"Hello, sir. How are you doing tonight?" Remus asked when he reached them. Dumbledore smiled, his pale eyes twinkling.

"Splendidly. Are these yours?" The younger man nodded and pointed to each in turn.

"The pup in dinosaur pajamas is Alex, the pup in blue is Mikey, and my little princess is Ariilyn. Ok, kiddos, you've seen him. Now off to bed." All three looked up at him with huge, pleading eyes. Remus raised his eyebrows. The kids hugged him and went to the kitchen to see their mother. That was fine. She'd put them to bed and they'd probably stay this time. Remus sat across from the Hogwarts headmaster. Andy came over with the headmaster's drink.

"Ah. Thank you…Louis," Albus said, reading the nametag pinned to the boy's lapel. The "vampire" bowed slightly and left. "Interesting thing you've done here, Remus. You look at things differently. I like that. Not many can openly admit what they are and get away with it." The werewolf nodded. It was easy to talk openly with the music playing and people talking.

"We do what we can. The magical community around here is actually really accepting of because they knew Lydia since birth and they know how hard we work to stay safe for everyone." Dumbledore nodded and took a sip of his sherry.

"I'll come straight to the point, Remus. Our last Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is no longer able to teach. I want you to take his place." He stared at the old man. What could he say? It would be an honor to teach at Hogwarts, but his family…they were barely staying afloat as it was. How could he leave his pups? Dumbledore pulled a parchment from his robes. "If you accept, you will be given professor's pay and will reside at Hogwarts." Remus thought on that for a few minutes. He could have most of his pay sent home for his family.

"What about my…condition?"

"Our potions master can brew the wolfsbane and we will just tell the students that you are ill. Your office will have a strong lock as well as protective charms."

"Why me?"

"Besides me thinking you will be what the children need? Harry Potter is entering his third year. He has had two attacks on his life so far. And with Sirius Black having escaped from Azkaban, I believe you will be the best person to be near Harry. The Ministry believes he is after the boy." My chest tightened. The son of James and Lily…and being hunted by…by Sirius.

"I…I'll be right back." The old man smiled and sipped his sherry. Remus went to the kitchen.

"Hey, love. Take this to table two for me? Anna is putting the little ones to bed. Again." Remus waved over Andy to take it for him.

"Dumbledore offered me a job." Lydia stared, her chocolate eyes unreadable. "He wants me to be the DADA teacher. I hate to leave you and the pups, but it will mean more money for us. And you can visit, I think." She was chewing her lip now, which meant she was thinking hard. I took in a deep breath and exhaled. "The Ministry thinks that Black is after Harry Potter, James and Lily's kid. Albus wants me close by…" My wife inhaled sharply and looked away. Sirius had been a touchy subject for the both of us for years. After a few more minutes in silence, Lydia nodded.

"Do what you want to, dear. I'll support whichever decision." Remus hugged his wife, smiling slightly.

"I know. If it doesn't work out after the first year for either of us, I'll come home." Lydia hugged him tighter before letting go.

"Remus…the potion?"

"Arranged."

"And the transformation? The Hogwarts Express leaves September 1 st. That's only three days afterword." Remus nodded.

"I know. It will be a rough ride, but I'll be fine. I'll just take plenty of extra chocolate." His wife nodded, giving a small smile at that. She knew that even though it had healing properties, her husband loved chocolate as much as any girl. He kissed her forehead. "I'll go tell him I accept the position." 

Big thanks to CrImInAl-MiNdS-nCis, DragonWand, frenziedquill, and ShiobiStar for reviewing and to everyone who added the story to their favorites list.

Reviews can be added anonymously, too ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

Remus' POV

Remus walked down the corridor of the Hogwart's Express, a small smile visible on his worn out face. The train held many memories for him, almost every one of them good. His smile widened as he slid open a compartment door at the back of the train. Remus has sat in this same one in his seventh year- the same year everything really started with his mate.

"Good luck, right?" he murmured to himself and slid his briefcase on the rack. He was an hour early so he laid down on the seat for a quick nap. While his body was tired, his mind was still racing. Remus could still hear his wife's last words before he left. _"If you realize you forgot something, don't hesitate to write. I'll send it to you. Take your potion and please, try to be careful. We don't want any more accidents like me, now do we?" _Her tone said she was teasing, but her words jarred him. Remus tried to cover it by smiling and kissing her one last time before accepting a parting gift from his triplets- a huge slab of chocolate. His stomach hurt. _What if I hurt someone again? How could I live with myself? This time, I won't have someone breaking me out every month to explore, at least. _At some point after that, he drifted off into a light slumber.

Remus sat with his new students in the compartment, making sure they ate their chocolate. It was a little cramped in there for six, but the kids were all so scared, they didn't seem to mind. Truth be told, the new teacher was not feeling as brave as the others thought he was. _It's a good thing only two got on the train. I don't have the strength for another patronus. _He hadn't been able to summon a corporeal patronus in the first place, which really set him on edge. It was the first time he'd ever missed seeing the wolf. Every time he saw the silvery wolf, it reminded him that werewolf or not, deep down in his human soul, he was still one. _I've never had to summon a patronus so close to the full moon before. Maybe that's why. If it is, I'm in for a rough year. I can understand Dumbledore having to keep them stationed outside of the school, but still… _A part of his mind drifted back to his former friend. _He's not here. Not yet. I hope they catch that mangy bastard soon._ As soon as he thought it, he felt a little bad for it, even though he knew he had every right to think that way. He looked around, his eyes falling on each of the students' faces. They were doing better now.

"If you will excuse me, I'm going to see how much longer it will be until we arrive."

Lydia's POV

I walked up the moving stairs to the third floor at Hogwarts. As it was two and a half weeks until the full moon, I wasn't worried leaving my pups with Tyler and Andy. All three of our employees were pack and were more than happy to help our family, especially when it came to the little ones. Who could blame them? All three looked alike, except Ariilyn, who looked like a female version of her brothers. They all had wide, amber eyes under thick dark brown hair. Their cheeks were round and their noses adorably small. Of course, that would probably change as they got older. They were always smiling and always full of energy, even around the full moon. That surprised me at first, but when I learned that natural born werewolves change shape easier than a turned werewolf, I understood. The little buggers were usually able to keep their minds when they transformed, another byproduct of being born with the curse. I shook my head and kept walking. The bell sounded and students poured out of their classrooms. When I was sure the last of my mate's students had left, I slipped into the room. I had to bite my lip from laughing aloud. He looked so cute as a teacher. He sat at his desk, going through papers, and didn't even look up when I entered. While I would never have the courage, or the audacity, to do what I came to do, the simple fact that it was Remus gave me strength.

I walked up to his desk and sat on it, making sure that my old uniform skirt rose up my thigh as I did so.

"Excuse me, Professor Lupin. I'm having trouble with my homework assignment. Perhaps you could help me?" I asked, keeping my voice soft to be safe. He stared at my leg for a moment, apparently unbelieving. Remus cleared his throat and sat back in his chair.

"Well, ah, miss- Lydia!" he near shouted, finally looking up at who was addressing him. I smiled widely, having surprised my husband. "Lydia, what are you doing here? And-and dressed like a student?" I pouted.

"If you don't want me here, I can leave," I murmured, though making no move to stand.

"I didn't say that," he told me. I tried not to smile again; he was using his teacher voice on me.

"I missed you so to take my mind off it, I went through some old boxes. Then I found my school robes and had to try them on. They still fit, mostly. After I had them on, I just couldn't _not_ come see you, _Professor Lupin._" He shifted in his seat but still made no move to get up. I knew I had him. I stood up and walked behind him. Lightly massaging his shoulders, I leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"You're so tense, Professor. Maybe you should lie down? Come to think of it, I know a few ways to relieve stress." He growled deep in his throat. _Got ya._ It's not he would ever say no to a good romp, but seduction was always so much fun. He was the only person I felt comfortable enough to try it with and even then, I knew I was safe because he was my husband. He stood up slowly and I could see how hard it was to keep the inner beast contained.

"Well then, _Miss Matthews,_ why don't we go up to my office and you can show me exactly how I should relieve this stress?" Even after years of marriage, he still knew how to make me blush and feel like a shy schoolgirl again, despite the fact that _I_ was seducing _him._ I took his offered hand and let him lead me up to his office, magically locking and soundproofing his classroom.

I wiggled back into my skirt and zipped it up, debating on staying for dinner or not.

"Before I forget, let me give you this week's letter," Remus told me, sliding off his bed. He put it in my bag as I finished getting dressed.

"You should probably get dressed, too," I told him halfheartedly, eyeing his naked body with appreciation. He chuckled but got dressed anyway. While he did that, I looked around his office, absently flipping though papers on his table.

"Who _is _making your potion every month, anyway? I don't remember you ever saying," I told him, coming across his lunar chart.

"Severus Snape," he said in an all-too-casual voice. I frowned. _Snape? Didn't they have a history back in school? I could have sworn that the guys picked on Snape a lot. But he's making the wolfsbane?_

"So you two got things worked out?" Remus gave me the same look he does whenever I catch him.

"Well…call it a forced truce. He isn't openly hostile in front of the students and he makes my potion to perfection. But that's on Dumbledore's orders." I nodded, shrugging it off. If Dumbledore trusted him to not mess up my husband's potion, then the potion was fine.

"And are the students any trouble?" I asked. He gave me a lopsided grin as he finished pulling on his robe.

"For the most part, no. There is a set of ginger pranksters, but they aren't so bad. The Slytherins don't care much for me, but I'm a Gryffindor and they know Snape doesn't care for me. But it's worth it." I hugged him tight.

"Glad to hear it."

Remus' POV

He stood about ten feet behind Harry Potter, wand at the ready for the second time that night.

"Ready," the third year said, his wand also out. The professor flicked his wand and the trunk in front of Harry opened, a boggart-turned-dementor rising from inside. Harry tried a few times to repel the dementor, but ultimately he passed out. Remus rushed forward and forced the boggart back in the trunk.

"Harry! Harry… wake up…" he said, leaning over the boy and tapping him hard in the face. _This was a bad idea. _Harry's green eyes opened slowly as he came around.

"I heard my dad," he mumbled. "That's the first time I've ever heard him – he tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give my mum time to run for it…" Remus swallowed hard when he saw the boy lean over to wipe his eyes and turned away so Harry could maintain his dignity. _It's too hard on him. I didn't realize it would be hard on me, too._

"You heard James?" Harry looked up and nodded.

"Yeah. Why? You didn't know my dad, did you?" he asked. There was a slight yearning in his voice, as if he was reaching for a tangible link to his parents. _I could give him that, but if I did, I'd have to admit… That aside, this could traumatize Harry, if he hasn't been already._

"I – did, as a matter of fact," he replied slowly. "We were friends at Hogwarts. Listen, Harry – perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced… I shouldn't have suggested putting you through this…"

"No!" Harry protested, surprising his teacher. He insisted on one more go, saying he wasn't thinking happy enough. Against his better judgment, Remus complied. This time, Harry managed a silver shadow. Remus jumped in and put in the boggart back in its box.

"Excellent!" he praised, striding over to Harry. "Excellent, Harry! That was definitely a start!" He almost laughed when the third year asked for another go but had to turn him down. Instead he handed him a slab of Honeydukes chocolate. "Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week?" _He can handle it. I hope._ He let Harry eat his chocolate, instead focusing his attention on extinguishing the lamps.

"Okay. Um, Professor Lupin? If you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black as well." Remus spun around quickly and felt the blood rush from his face. He tried to get his emotions under control before answering Harry.

"What gives you that idea?" he asked sharply. Harry looked at his shoes.

"Nothing. I mean, I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts, too…" _Not so bad. He doesn't know anything, then._

"Yes, I knew him. Or I thought I did. You'd better get on to bed," he urged before Harry thought to dig further. The boy complied. Remus sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, making his way back to his room. _I knew what I was signing up for. I knew Harry needed me close by. But all this…_

"He's James all over again. Harry can handle it. I hope I can," he muttered as he took off his cloak and got ready for bed. He thought back to sneaking into Filch's office, looking for the confiscated Marauder's map. It wasn't there. _Harry probably has it. It wouldn't surprise me in the least._ He smiled to himself. _I don't know if James would be disappointed that I got caught searching the office or proud that I got away with it. Lucky that boggart was in there._ That was one of the bad things about being back at Hogwarts- he remembered too much. The memories were usually good, but with James and Peter dead and Sirius being behind it all, it hurt. Usually when Remus got this way, Lydia would place his head on her chest and stroke his hair until he fell asleep, listening to the steady beat of her heart. But he didn't have that comfort this time. _Don't dwell on it. Others are relying on you. Be strong. _

Lydia's POV

_Merlin, I hate transformations. _I got off the floor of the basement and looked around. My pups had reverted back to their human forms and were fast asleep on the floor. I couldn't help but smile faintly as I placed a blanket over them. They were so cute. As usual, the stairs creaked as they were ascended. I knocked softly on the door and when it asked for the password, I responded, "The danger is passed." The door opened soundlessly. _Another moon behind us,_ I thought as I picked up the old bathrobe that was draped over one of the kitchen chairs. Wouldn't do to run around naked, would it? I was about halfway through my tea when a silver white wolf ran through the door. _Remus' patronus?_ It stopped in front of me and spoke with my mate's voice.

"Lydia, you must trust me." His voice was worn out and raspy, but the urgency was obvious. "Sirius is innocent and I told him to go to you. Help him. Trust me." It disappeared. I didn't think that Sirius would ever betray James or any of us, but the evidence was against him. After years, I had no choice but to believe it. But Remus said to trust him and that our old friend was innocent.

Sirius Black was on his way.

"I should put some clothes on," I said to my teacup. "Yeah. Definitely need some clothes." I opened the basement door again to get the pups out. Even though they grumbled about it, they got up and went upstairs to put their pajamas on and get a few more hours of sleep. I shook my head at them. Being confident and comfortable in your body came with the werewolf territory. Even though that comfort could be from their young age, not a one of them was ever ashamed of nakedness. They only wore clothes because, as parents, we insisted on it. And because they knew normal people wore clothes. Werewolf or no, I never felt completely at home in my human body.

I got out of the shower and dressed before checking on my pups. They were sprawled out on their beds, soundly asleep. Smiling, I went outside and breathed in the morning air. _That's not right. Something smells…off._ Frowning, I scanned the backyard and the edge of the small forest. A big, black dog sat next to a nearby tree, watching me. I had to remind myself that Sirius was innocent. I tilted my head toward the house and walked back inside, leaving the door open. A minute later, the dog walked in and used his nose to close the door. Then he changed back into a man.

"Hello, Lydia," he said, voice raspy. I sighed and pointed to the water closet.

"Clean towels are in the closet. I'll leave a clean set of clothes outside the door." He attempted a smile, but it came out a grimace. _You haven't had anything to smile about for a long time, have you?_

I waited patiently as Sirius cleaned up and gorged himself. He sat back in his chair and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Thanks. I haven't eaten real food in a- a long time." I nodded and picked up the dishes.

"Um, Sirius? What happened?" I asked. He was quiet for a bit and I refused to turn around and look at him.

"I didn't believe James and Lily were safe. I didn't trust Remus, either." He didn't comment when my back stiffened, so he probably wasn't looking at me. I made myself turn around; he was staring into his tea, unseeing.

"I convinced James to make Peter their Secret Keeper. All of us knew it was supposed to be me and we all knew there was a spy in our group. If someone came after me, then we would know who the spy actually was. But I got a bad feeling so I went to check on Peter. He was gone. He's the one that betrayed us." I stared at him. My legs felt weak.

"Peter? Peter Pettigrew?" I asked. My legs gave out and I half sank, half fell to the floor. "That can't be right. He had less of a backbone than I did."

"He did it," Sirius growled, standing suddenly. "He told Voldemort!" Sirius shoved the chair he had been sitting in and it clattered to the floor. "And I'm the one that made it possible," he said softly, dull blue eyes brimming with tears.

"Mum? Hey! Who are you?" Ariilyn demanded from the doorway. Her brothers were behind her, looking equally sleepy and confused. Then they all looked mad.

"What are you doing to our mum?" Michael demanded. Sirius looked at the three children in turn, all giving him a menacing, predatory look. Thing is, even if three children are glaring like they're about to attack, they're still just children in pajamas.

Sirius gave his signature bark-like laugh.

"Three, huh? My, you did have a litter." I swatted his leg from my position on the ground.

"It's ok, kids. This is Sirius. We went to school together. He was best friends with Dad," I explained, standing. "I'm fine. Go back to bed." With one last suspicious glare at Sirius, they did as they were told. Sirius apologized for upsetting them and we both sat down at the table for him to finish the story.

"I went after Pettigrew. Cornered him, even. But he screamed how I had been the one to kill the Potters and blew up the street, running away with the rats in the sewer."

"But they found his finger."

"He cut it off. So when I saw a picture of him, as a rat, in the paper, I knew it was him. So I went after him. I escaped and hunted him down. Almost had him last night, but…" he shook his head, "but he got away. He scurried back to his master." I nodded and sat back in my chair. This was a lot of information to process. Sirius went on to explain exactly how it went down and what role my husband played in it and that Harry knew the whole story now.

"So what will you do now?" I asked. Remus should be back in a couple of days or so. You're more than welcome to stay." But he was shaking his head.

"They might check here. I don't want to put you or yours in any more danger. I'll move about for a bit. Then, when the hype dies down, I'll go back to _Grimmauld Place_." He said it like it was a curse word. That was his parents' house, if memory served. No wonder he didn't want to go back. "I'd better get going."

Nodding, I stood and offered my arms for a hug. He hugged me and held on tight.

"You were always the understanding one, Lydia. Thanks."

"It's good to have you back. We'll keep in touch." He nodded and left out the back door. Before I closed the door, I saw him take off above the clouds on the back of a hippogriff. _Figures._

Sorry it took so long! I really really am. I don't own Harry Potter, ect. I do admit to using some lines straight from the book for a scene in here, but feh. I changed it enough to dodge copyright, but it's an important scene, so yeah. Don't hurt me, please. Thank you CrImInAl-MiNdS-nCis, Bri P., and Cowboy's Lily for reviewing and those who added this to their favorites list. Thanks for reading and don't hesitate to review 3


	6. Chapter 6

I am so so so so so so so sorry it took this long to post. College has been insane. To those who are still reading this for whatever reason, thanks. I really appreciate it.

It was a lazy evening in the Lupin household. Michael sat on the living room floor playing with his dinosaur toys while Alexander hid in his pillow fort from Ariilyn, who wanted to play dress-up. Remus dozed under open pages of the Daily Prophet. He looked so peaceful, that my eyelids started to feel heavy. My eyes closed and I hadn't realized I was dozing until one of the boys yelled. Jolting up, I looked around. Remus did the same. Mikey had yelled because Alex threw the dinosaur toys behind the couch.

"Alex! Why did you do that?" Remus asked, exasperated. Mikey, on the verge of tears, came to me for a hug. Alex shrugged.

"Why?" his dad asked again, kneeling next to the boy.

"Dinosaurs are dead." Both of us were confused.

"So you threw his toys?" I asked. "He was only playing. You're playing pretend in your fort, too, aren't you?" Alex's amber eyes remained wide and innocent.

"I don't get what I did wrong. I was playing." Mikey wasn't upset anymore, so he got out of my hold.

"If you want, we can bury them in the backyard and dig them up," he offered.

"OK," his brother said. Remus shook his head and smiled.

"Tomorrow. You can do that _tomorrow,_" he told them firmly, happy that the kids had basically solved it on their own. I called Alex over.

"Sweetie, next time, ask your brother first. You wouldn't want him to knock over your fort without your permission, would you?"

"Not really."

"Apologize then?" I asked. Alex turned to his brother.

"Sorry."

"It's ok," Mikey said, shrugging. Ariilyn turned to face the back door, sniffing the air slightly. I caught the scent at the same time as my mate.

"Someone is here," she said simply before picking up her Barbie doll. The boys frowned, wary.

"I got it," Remus said and got off the couch to answer the door. Sirius was standing there, face drawn. His hair was still long, but a little more kempt than a year ago. He had also put on weight during that time. I could smell the fear and worry on him, though. Remus' eyes were worried as he led our friend inside.

"Hello, Sirius," I told him, standing. "Would you like some tea?" He shook his head.

"Thanks, but no time." He nodded to the kids and raised his eyebrows.

"Go upstairs, pups. It's your bedtime, anyway," Remus told them. Sensing their parents' ease and trust for Sirius, their attitudes became indifferent toward him. After getting their pillows from Alex's fort, they went upstairs, waving a short goodnight on the way.

"We'll be up to tuck you in later," I called after them. Remus sat back down and indicated Sirius to do the same. The fugitive sank into an armchair gratefully. He looked exhausted.

"I can't stay for long. Gotta alert the others." We stared, unsure of what he was talking about.

"Start at the beginning, Padfoot," Remus told him. I almost questioned the use of the old nickname, but when I saw some of the tension slide from Sirius' face, I just left it alone.

"Harry Potter was in the Triwizard Tournament this year. The last challenge was a labyrinth. When he reached the trophy in the center, it took him to Pettigrew and Voldemort." I winced at the name. It had been a long while since I heard it. Remus' lips were pressed tight. Knowing him, it wasn't Voldemort's name that upset him- it was his former friend.

"What happened?" I whispered, though I don't really know why.

"They used some of Harry's blood to bring Voldemort back to full power," he growled. Anger and hate flashed across his face, covering the fear and exhaustion.

"Is Harry all right?" asked my husband. Anger flashed in his eyes as well, but in a subtler, colder way. Sirius nodded.

"A little banged up, but he'll live. Anyway, Voldemort is back. Dumbledore sent me to alert the old Order."

"Why? What can we do?" I asked bitterly. "We couldn't stop him last time."

"We know him better. He has to start over building up his alliances. Dumbledore thinks we have a chance. I believe him," Sirius told me, blue-grey eyes boring into my face. I don't know if it was his gaze, the conviction in his voice, or that he said Dumbledore's name, but I couldn't help but believe him.

"Headquarters?" I asked softly, looking away.

"Grimmauld Place."

"Isn't that…?" Remus started, frowning. Sirius nodded.

"Yeah. My old house. Gotta get the protections up, though. And it cleaned up."

"Let me know when you're going to start. I'll help," my mate offered. Sirius nodded and stood up.

"Right. Got to go." We both got up to give him a hug before he continued his mission.

Once we tucked the triplets in, we walked over to the diner.

"What do we do?" I asked. Remus took my hand.

"The same as last time. We fight," he replied quietly.

"And the pups? Last time, we didn't have a family. How will we-?" He squeezed my hand before letting go and opening the back door to the diner.

"I know. We'll figure it out. We can send a letter to Dumbledore tomorrow. Until then, let's just think about getting though tonight." I nodded and started warming up the oven.

"Darling?" I called out. He stuck his head in the kitchen from the front serving area.

"Hmm?"

"I keep thinking about Hogwarts and, well…" I trailed off, unsure how to say it.

"Pettigrew didn't leave that sort of impression on you," he finished for me, coming back into the kitchen and leaning against the counter. I shook my head.

"No. He didn't leave much of an impression at all. I know he was right there, but every time I think back, he's like a background character. I remember him idolizing James and…and being supportive…and being there with us, but his personality…I never thought he would do much of anything, much less…" I swallowed, forcing back the tears I knew would form.

"Shhh," he instructed comfortingly as he held out his arms for a hug, which I gladly accepted. "I know. It's still hard to take. But there is nothing that can be done for it. I'm sorry." I nodded and stepped back.

"Right. Sorry, then. The others will be here soon. I should get started on those pastries."

"I will only be gone for a few days," Remus assured me. Pouting, I shrugged. He was going ahead with Sirius to help make ready for the Order. It could be a few days or a few hours- it always felt so wrong when we weren't together.

"I know," I murmured sulkily.

"When a few of the bedrooms are safe, you and the pups will join us." I nodded again.

"That's my girl. Let's see, most of our clothes and things are packed, gave notice to our waiters that we'll be closed for a while, and let the Ministry know that we've moved under Dumbledore's protection. Did we forget anything?" he asked, dashing smile in place.

"No, we're set," I responded.

"Right, then." I followed him around the house as he said goodbye to the triplets and I couldn't help but worry. The little ones had a different sort of wolf in them and felt the separation of the pack stronger than Remus or me.

"Lydia?" my husband asked, startling me from my thoughts. He had finished and I hadn't realized it.

"Yes. Sorry. I-" He kissed my nose.

"See you in a few days, love," he whispered.

"Yeah."

"Oh. I noticed you forgot to pack your uniform. Don't worry- I remembered it." He winked. I couldn't help but blush and laugh a little. But my smile quickly disappeared. He was gone.

Sirius' POV

Sirius was in a bad mood. Who could blame him, though? Dumbledore made it perfectly clear that Harry would not be able to live with Sirius until Harry became of age. And by then, he would probably want to live on his own. The convict understood _why_, but he didn't have to like it. He cursed Wormtail for the thousandth time that day. Remus appeared next to him with a faint pop. A small smile tugged on his lips, as if the remnant of a joke still lingered there. It disappeared as soon as he saw Sirius' sour expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking around. Sirius looked at his friend, studying him. Grey flecks covered more of the brown hair than he remembered. The lines on his face were deeper and his robes had seen better days, too.

"It's nothing," Sirius replied shortly. "Let's go inside."

"I can't see the house, old friend," Remus told him. Sirius grunted, having forgotten about the hiding charm. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper with the address written in the Headmaster's hand. As soon as the werewolf read it, he could see the dismal house.

"Right. Let's get to work."

Two days of sanitizing the bedrooms and kitchen and battling various pests later, members of the order started to show up to check things out. Molly Weasley and Alastor Moody showed up to see if everything was up to see if everything was up to habitable standards. Was it really? No. But a strong enough dent was put in that no one would die if they slept over. However, that was Sirius' opinion and Molly and Mad-Eye were the ones to decide. Sirius lounged in the kitchen, waiting for the verdict. A loud crash from upstairs made his mothers portrait start shrieking. Again. Remus sighed as he put down the paper.

"Tonks, I'm gonna smack you if you keep doing that," Sirius grumbled as both men got up to pull the heavy drapes back over her. Tonks, or more properly, Nymphadora, was Mad-Eye's fledgling student. She was a good auror, just clumsy. Moody brought her along to see how well she could check an unsecured area. Competent, but again, clumsy. The three came downstairs just as Sirius and Remus quieted Mrs. Black down.

"There are still a few critters runnin' around, but nuthin dangerous," Moody proclaimed. "You boys did well."

"Thank you, Alastor," Remus said, smiling wearily. It had been a hard two days.

"Well, better go check your side of the house," he said to Tonks. The pink-haired petite pouted slightly.

"No, you won't, Alastor. All of you will come into the kitchen for sandwiches. It's well past lunch." The old auror grunted and they all followed Molly back to the kitchen.

"Here you go, love. You'll need your strength," Molly told Remus as she handed him his plate. _The full moon is close, isn't it?_ Sirius thought, sinking his teeth into his own sandwich. _Damn, this is good. It might be a sandwich, but Merlin's beard!_

"Hey, is that a tattoo?" Tonks asked, seeing the numbers printed on Remus' inner arm; his sleeve had fallen back a little when he reached for the plate. He hastily pulled it down.

"Yes, something like that," he mumbled. Tonks tilted her head to the side and reached for his arm. Gingerly, she pulled back his sleeve again.

"Registration number?" she asked quietly.

"Werewolf."

"Oh," she said. Sirius frowned slightly. _Is he still embarrassed about what he is? He seems so happy when he's with his family. How can he be so happy with them but still feel ashamed by what he is- what they all are? Is it cause he doesn't know Tonks? I'll have to ask him later._ Sirius looked at her again. Then her hand. He raised an eyebrow. That hand still hadn't left Remus' arm. "That must be so hard for you," she went on. The man only shrugged. Molly was watching in mild amusement. Moody was too busy eating to care. Sirius, however, didn't know what to feel. Mainly because he wasn't a 100% sure what was going on. He started to lose interest when she chattered away about random stuff, mainly to Molly, but then he noticed it. She kept glancing over at the bloke. Remus was quietly eating and reading the paper. Her hand was still on his arm. He hadn't made a move to dislodge it, but he was visably tense. Sirius fought a snort. _He doesn't know what to do!_ _Poor bastard._ And, like a true friend, Sirius did nothing but laughed internally.

It wasn't until they were leaving that she struck again. Mentioning that Remus had something in his hair, she ran her fingers through his hair to get it out. She stood rather close to do it too. Sirius didn't see what that something was, but that could've been because he was too busy fighting the urge to laugh. Mad-Eye rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Nymphadora." Her nose crinkled in disgust.

"Merlin, I hate that. Wotcher, boys!" she said with a wink and followed the old auror out. When he was sure they were gone, Sirius laughed, long and hard. Remus glared.

"What's so funny?" Sirius laughed a little more before wiping his eyes.

"Lydia is going to be _so_ pissed!"

Lydia's POV

I was packing up Lyn's clothes and she was picking out a few "important" toys to bring along. A lot of her toys used to be mine- we didn't have the money to buy a lot, which always made me feel guilty. None of the pups complained, but still.

"Where's daddy?" Lyn asked.

"I told you, sweetie. He's at his friend's house."

"But he's been gone for days. And the full moon is coming. Will he be home for that?" she asked, small face full of worry. I sighed.

"Lyn, puppy, don't worry so much. No, he won't be here. He's making sure Sirius' cellar can hold us. Daddy has to test it. We want everyone to be safe." My daughter scrunched her nose, thinking hard.

"But the wolfsbane potion? It works."

"I know it works. But we just want to be safe. If it is safe, then we go to stay there. Now, have you decided what to bring?" She held up her Barbie doll. I smiled at her then turned around to find her school bag. "Ah. Here it is. You can fill up this bag with whatever you want. Mmkay?" She nodded and took the bag with as much seriousness a child could have. I sighed internally. The pups always took their father's absence hard. So much of their playfulness just went out the door with him.

It was the morning after the full moon. We were completely packed. Now all we could do was wait for Remus to get us. The pups were still asleep, worn out from the night before. The transformation was easier for them- more natural- but they didn't have the extra relief of the wolfsbane potion. It wouldn't work for them. Remus thinks it's because they're natural born, but because there hasn't been a documented case, we don't know. I stretched before I put on my bathrobe then set about making tea. The tea was almost done when the battered teapot exploded. While the metal pieces missed my body, the boiling water burned my arms.

"Too tired to smell an intruder, ya flea-bitten wolf?" taunted a wizard from the doorway. He was tall and broad shouldered with deep set pale eyes under a dark crew cut. _How did he know we were here? Does he know about the pups? Did he miss on purpose? Where's my wand? _The last question was answered first- it was on the table. My teacup was closer. I threw that and grabbed my wand when he dodged the small projectile. _Gotta move away from the cellar!_ I threw a jinx his way and he did the same. He charged as he fought, so I ran into the small living room. So far, he hadn't been able to hit me with any curses but my luck ran out. A spell sent me flying back into the bookshelf. The DeathEater, for that's all I could assume he was, took his time advancing. He seemed to be getting a lot of pleasure from seeing me in pain. My wand had fallen out of my hand when I hit the bookshelf; I had no idea where it was. _Oh no!_ He smirked.

"I can see it in your eyes. You don't know what to do. Shall I make it easy and tell you?" His smirk widened into a sick smile. "You scream. Crucio!" Scream, I did. A minute or so of pure pain went by and a I was sure I was going to black out or die. Then there was relief- no pain at all. Panting for breath, I lifted my head. My ears started working a moment after my eyes. The DeathEater was trying to shake off a fur-ball from his inner thigh and making an awful ruckus as he did so. _Wait. That fur-ball is…Alex?_ I looked around. Still no sight of my wand but…ah, there. Fumbling slightly, I pulled the old revolver from its hideaway book; it had fallen to the ground with most of the other books when I hit the shelf! After switching off the safety, I aimed high and fired.

Special thanks to yellowbutterflys and Dragonwand for reviewing!


	7. Chapter 7

Last time on DragonBall Z the fanfic that I never get around to updating… (sorry about that by the way)

"_I can see it in your eyes. You don't know what to do. Shall I make it easy and tell you?" His smirk widened into a sick smile. "You scream. Crucio!" Scream, I did. A minute or so of pure pain went by and a I was sure I was going to black out or die. Then there was relief- no pain at all. Panting for breath, I lifted my head. My ears started working a moment after my eyes. The DeathEater was trying to shake off a fur-ball from his inner thigh and making an awful ruckus as he did so. Wait. That fur-ball is…Alex? I looked around. Still no sight of my wand but…ah, there. Fumbling slightly, I pulled the old revolver from its hideaway book; it had fallen to the ground with most of the other books when I hit the shelf! After switching off the safety, I aimed high and fired. _

BANG! My pup yelped, releasing his prize and ran off, the noise too much for his delicate ears. The DeathEater examined the blood oozing from his chest before he dropped to the ground. He stopped moving. Shaking, I could only stare at him.

"Lydia! Lydia!" I looked up just as Sirius burst through the door. His face was panicked and his wand was at the ready. When he saw me, he rushed forward to make sure I was fine. "Merlin, what happened?" he breathed, checking my head and limbs for damage. Something must have been wrong with my left arm because Sirius murmured the _ferula_ spell softly. _Strange. I can't feel any pain at all._

"He showed up at dawn. We had just changed back and- my pups!" I tried to get up to check on them, especially Alexander, but Sirius held me down.

"Easy there. You were just in a fight, old mum. You broke your arm. Now sit there and breathe. I'll check on them," my friend assured me.

"But-"

" I said sit." I couldn't help but obey. Something in his tone told me it was best to do as he said. Before he went toward the kitchen cellar, he pulled up the dead man's sleeve, revealing a Dark Mark, then checked for a pulse. "You got him, all right," he muttered. Sirius levitated the man through the kitchen and out the back door. I was glad he did that. The little ones didn't need to see it. A few minutes later, though it seemed far longer, Sirius returned with Michael and Ariilyn. They were wrapped in blankets and looked like all they wanted was to go back to sleep. He told them to sit with me while he went to find the third. A little more later, he returned with a small wolf pup in his arms.

"Since when can they stay in wolf form without the moon?" the man asked. I shook my head.

"I don't know. I guess now. Why hasn't he turned back yet?" I asked, worried. Sirius shook his head and examined my son.

"Probably stuck. I know when Prongs, Wor-… Prongs and I started changing, if we got freaked out by something, it was harder to change back. Or if we got too caught up in the mind of the animal. Can you kids keep an eye on your mum? Good. We'll be right back. A little privacy," he responded to my confused look. _Oh. He's going to walk Alex through it. That's good._ My other two looked around at the mess then back at me.

"What happened, mum?" Lynn asked. "And why do you have the gun out?" We had taught our little ones about weapons and how they can hurt people and shouldn't be touched, so Lynn knew something bad must have happened.

"Nothing, sweetie. Nothing to worry about. Will you hand me the book-box? Thank you." I put the gun in its case but kept it in my lap. The war had only stared and it was already past my front door.

In only an hour later, Sirius had helped Alex revert back to human, we had picked up the mess that was made, dressed everyone, and was completely ready to leave.

"Why didn't Daddy come to get us?" Michael asked. Sirius smiled at him.

"Your dad is still a little worn out from last night." To me he added, "And I thought that since the basement held just fine, you all would like to be back together as soon as possible." After getting our luggage, we held onto the children and apparated to London. We were outside in an old, rich neighborhood. Sirius pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and crouched down so he was near eye-level with the triplets.

"Can I trust you lot with a secret?" he asked, face serious. They nodded silently. "All right then. I am going to show you the secret location of our super secret good guy base. But you have to promise me that you will never tell _anyone or anything_. Ever." I could see it in his blue-grey eyes; he was having fun. All three six year olds nodded again. "Promise me." The triplets looked at one another then back at the shaggy haired man.

"We promise," they said in unison and crossed their hearts. Sirius smiled openly at them and showed us the address on the slip of paper. Grimmauld Place #12 appeared and we went inside.

Moving in was a little hectic because it wasn't just us moving in. The Weasleys were moving in as well. Sirius had picked out everyone's rooms already, but nine people on one flight of stairs with luggage…_ Wait a minute. Nine. Where's that husband of mine?_

After shooing my pups into the room they would share, I went into the room that was set aside for Remus and me. Thing was, there was no Remus. Cancelling my levitation spell on the trunk, I frowned and went downstairs to the kitchen. Sirius was lounging at the long table, reading the paper with his feet up.

"Sirius?"

"Yep?" he asked, not looking up. I asked where my husband was. He paused and lowered his paper. He had an odd expression on his face, like he was suppressing a smirk. It was hard to recognize at first because it had been so long since I had seen him smirk and even then, he still hadn't gained all his life and weight back yet.

"Well? What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he said hurriedly. The smirk grew wider, becoming less hidden. "He's in the room through there," he answered, pointing to a door. I nodded my thanks and went into the next room. There was Remus. With a girl hanging all over him. Well, she was more leaning against him with her hand on his leg, but still. I was surprised at first, but covered it quickly. She was a pretty, young thing with a slender body and short, pink hair. They were sitting on the couch; she was talking animatedly and Remus nodded stiffly at times. He seemed frozen. I wanted to laugh, but suppressed it. He never knew what to do when a woman flirted with him. Excluding me, of course. But then, I still found it hard to flirt most of the time. Instead, I walked over and sat in a chair facing them and picked up a book.

"H-hello, Lydia," Remus stammered, eyes imploring me for help. Trying to keep my face impassive, I replied, "Remus." The pink haired girl spared me a small glance before going back to staring dreamily at him. It was funny. He had helped me overcome my shyness but he had the hardest time responding when girls advanced on him.

"So…how are you two doing this morning?" I asked pleasantly, "Sleep well, Remus?" He managed to give me a flat look while Pink responded, "Doing fine. We were, ah, talking. So if you want to take your book elsewhere?" she asked, giving the look known to most women as 'I'm working here- scram!' I smiled sweetly and told her I was quite comfortable.

"You know, I hear that man can be quite dangerous," I told her, a slight mocking tone lacing my voice.

"Well, maybe I like dangerous." My smile widened and I turned to my husband.

"You hear that? She likes 'em dangerous."

"I heard, love," he replied with a sigh. Pink pouted.

"Well that's not fair. Why don't you call _me _love?" I offered the possibility that it was because he knew me _quite_ well. She didn't get it and instead chose to keep pouting prettily at him.

"So what do you do…?"

"Tonks," she replied shortly, "I'm an auror." I nodded with a small smile.

"I see. Shame your observational skills aren't very strong." Tonks frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I was about to point out the wedding band on Remus' finger, but then I heard Sirius' voice.

"Your mum is over here." Just from his tone, I knew he was smiling. He had his fun. I got up to see my son. I was halfway to the door when Sirius led Alex into the room and sure enough, our old friend's eyes held laughter. Alex smiled.

"Hi Mum. I'm done unpacking."

"Does this mean you dumped your stuff on the floor and left?" Remus asked from his seat. He sounded more like himself now.

"DADDY!" I hadn't seen Alex happier in days. He ran over to his father and jumped on his lap. Sirius burst out laughing. I couldn't blame him. The look on Tonks' face was priceless.

"You- you're _married_?" she asked, moving to the opposite end of the couch. Remus shrugged.

"I…kind of freeze when a girl comes on to me as strong as you did. Never quite knew how to handle it," he explained quietly.

"Oh. Ah well. Shows I got good taste at least," she said to me, shrugging the whole affair off. I couldn't disagree. "You could've said something, though," Tonks went on, giving me a reproachful look. Shrugging, I told her that it was more fun this way. Sirius laughed some more and ruffled my hair.

"We'll make a marauder out of you, yet," he told me with a broad smile. "Come on Alex. Your parents need to talk. You too, Tonks." They left the room, leaving me standing there feeling stunned. _He hasn't mentioned the Marauders since they found out about Peter. I wonder what changed._

"Hon?" Remus asked. I smiled and sat next to him and hugged him tight.

"I missed you," I told him, voice muffled by his chest. He hugged me back, telling me he missed me, too. That's one of the perks of being a werewolf. Wolf instincts run strong in us. Wolves mate for life; there is no cheating on your mate. Only emptiness when the pack isn't together.

"So what did we need to talk about?" he asked. I sat back and told him about Alex's transformation without the help of the full moon. Remus said we'd have to look into it and maybe ask Dumbledore. "He should be arriving in a couple hours for the first meeting anyway."

We sat around the old kitchen table for the first real meeting of the revived Order of the Pheonix. About half of the original Order was there. Sirius had to tell his story of innocence multiple times and Dumbledore gave plenty of assurances that he was innocent before the crew really accepted him. That, coupled with being stuck back at Grimmauld Place, had put him in a bad mood for a bit. But with everyone there, he couldn't be mad for long. He had always gotten such energy from being around people. Leaning against the back wall, I looked around the room, feeling like it was just the other day when the Order had last convened. Dumbledore stood at the head of the table. Moody sat on Albus' right. Emmeline Vance sat next to him. Then there was Sturgis Podmore and Mundugus Fletcher. Elphias Doge came next. Across the table were Minerva McGonagall, Molly, Arthur, and Bill Weasley (Charlie would be arriving in a few days), and Tonks. Kingsly Shacklebolt, Dedalus Diggle, Severus Snape, and Hestia Jones sat in chairs along the wall. Remus sat backwards in a chair next to me and Sirius leaned against the wall on my left. _So many gone...the Longbottoms, Marlene, Benjy, Edgar, Gideon...How can we do this? He's stronger than ever, according to Albus..._ Remus reached over and stroked my thigh affectionately.

"It's good to see all of you again together though I wish it could've been under better circumstances," Dumbledore said. A few forced chuckles welcomed his greeting. "I suppose we should get right down to business. First, before any work can be done, we need to recruit. This would be easier if the Ministry wasn't against us. Not only do we need humans, but other species as well. Arthur and Nymphadora, gather all the support you can in the Ministry. Stick to the muggle lovers and aurors at first, then those not so loyal to Fudge. Severus, how are things going so far?"

"I'm in. Not completely trusted yet, but I'm in," he reported shortly.

"Good. Hagrid and Maxine are rallying the giants and I'll talk to the merpeople tomorrow. Remus and Lydia, I want you two to find Fenrir Greyback and his recruits. Try to convince the other werewolves that we can live alongside muggles and wizards." I gulped but nodded.

"Lovely. Fletcher, Harry needs someone tailing him. You're the best at playing on the down low. You and Podmore take turns dogging him. I want him safe. That delightful Mrs. Figg has been watching him for years. Talk to her. Bill, offer the goblins what they require from our funds. They could be of use. The rest of you recruit who you can, don't attract too much attention, and be on the lookout for things Voldemort can use to gain power- that includes people. I want to know what he wants. Any questions? No? Alright, toddle off." Sirius approached Dumbledore about not having a special assignment for himself. Remus told me that he'd ask Dumbledore about the moonless transformation and asked me to check on the kids. As soon as I left the room, the Weasley children swarmed me, asking what happened. As most of them weren't of age, they weren't allowed in the meeting. The twins were of age, but their mother forbade them from taking part. I couldn't blame them for being curious. After all, we weren't much older when we joined the Order. Their lives and those of their parents were in the balance.

"I can't tell you anything. I'm sorry. I really am. Oof!" I grunted as I was toppled by my own children.

"Hiya mum," Mikey said happily. "Can we go outside and play?" I nodded. "And dig?" Grunting, I gently pushed them off me so I could stand up. The group of gingers laughed and left to try to get something out of someone else. "And dig?" Mikey asked again.

"Ask Uncle Sirius. It's his house."

"Can we play with Uncle Sirius?" Alex asked. His face was overbright with eagerness. _He's really taken a shine to Sirius, hasn't he? I guess that's to be expected after what happened._

"Ask Uncle Sirius," I said again. The boys ran into the kitchen. "What about you, Lyn?" She shrugged.

"Ginny said we could play dolls today." I gave her a hug and told her to get her Barbie so she wouldn't keep the girl waiting.

It was the end of July when the Advance guard took off to bring back Harry, Remus among them. Sirius would've been moping if there hadn't been a meeting. Half the members were there already. Dumbledore, who usually came in the middle of the night wasn't there either. I found it quite amusing that so many volunteered to pick up the young Potter boy, though to be honest, I had thought about going myself. But not everyone needed to go. And I had my little ones to watch, even though Hermione, a sweet muggle girl who was now staying over, and Ginny took it upon themselves to keep an eye on them as Fred and George entertained them. At least that way, they only helped out in a little mischief rather than helping the Weasley twins all the time. Bill was talking to me at the dinner table while the others were in their own conversations.

"If you would like, I'd be more than happy to charm your bullets to get through most protective spells," he offered after I told him about my dad and our DeathEater intruder.

"Can you really do that?" I asked, never having heard of such a spell before.

"Sure. Cursebreaker, remember?" he asked, flashing a charmingly confident smile. I laughed.

"I'd love that. Thank you."

"No problem." I was about to ask what sort of curses he encountered in the Egyptian tombs when my boys ran by us. They had mixing bowls on their heads and were brandishing sticks.

"What are you two doing?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. They looked at us like we were silly for not being able to plainly see what they were in fact doing.

"We're going to rescue the princess, Ariilyn from her dungeon," Mikey told me. Alex nodded importantly.

"That's right. It's guarded by huge, evil, man-eating trolls," Alex added.

"I see," I told them. "Just be careful not to break anything." They nodded and ran off. Bill looked at their retreating forms thoughtfully.

"You know, there's an illusion charm that your little ones would love. They like to play pretend, right?" I nodded. "So did we when we were little. Dad used to do this for me then taught me how so I could do it for my siblings," he said, folding a page of the _Daily Prophet_ into a paper hat. He took out his wand and made four small circles over it murmuring, "_Inclitus_." He put the paper hat on his head and he looked like he was wearing knight's armor. I clapped.

"That's amazing!" He took it off and handed it to me.

"Glad you think so. Just picture the outfit clearly in your mind when you say the spell." We spent the next half hour making plenty of costumes for the kids to play with. We had almost thirty done when everyone that was going to arrive showed up. Then we got to business.

"So here are the plans," Bill said, laying out the scrolls of parchment across the table. They were of the Department of Mysteries.

"How did you get a hold of those?" Emmeline asked, astonished.

"I copied them, obviously. Gringotts has the blueprints for nearly every building in the wizarding world, seeing as they had to get loans to build it. This one and this one Doge made when he took a...tour the other day," Bill told her with a cocky smile.

"So basically, we need a guard to the outer door. The Dark Lord wants something in there, according to Professor Snape," Molly said, a ladle in her hand. Snape nodded from his position against the wall.

"Yes, Molly. It's been difficult and hasn't been any small effort, but I managed to find out that He wants something from inside."

"Yes, yes. We know. He wants a weapon. But _which one_ is the hardest to distinguish," I said bitterly. Snape sneered at me for interrupting and I couldn't help but duck my head. For some reason, I still felt shy around the people I went to Hogwarts with. Diana Tamarum, a newly recruited auror spoke up next.

"The minister is getting even more paranoid. I could make a fortune selling him lucky charms. I already got 20 gallions for a four leaf clover I, uh, made. Anyway, he's placing his own spies throughout the Ministry, so now we have to watch out for two other sets. I can give you a complete list of Fudge's tomorrow evening. Other than that, nothing to really report."

"Well, we still don't want His Highness to get a hold of any other weapons that aren't guarded in the Ministry," Hestia said tartly, using her favorite term for Voldemort, "so we need to keep an eye out for anything else he could use and snatch it." I nodded.

"I agree. But because of our intel, let's keep half our people on the Ministry."

"We can trade out accordingly when we have to," McGonagall said and began sketching out a flow chart with her wand in the air, muttering where people could be shuffled. It was during the middle of that when Remus, Daedalus, Mad-Eye, Tonks, and everyone else came in, careful not to let the children in. Remus nodded, confirming that the pick-up was a success, as he sat next to me. The meeting almost over, the newcomers just had to be shown the maps and given updates. McGonagall compressed her airborne chart to a tight marble sized ball and sealed it so that only Dumbledore could go over it. As it was only a rough sketch and no-one really read it as he wrote it, only she and Dumbledore would know exactly where everyone was going to be so that if anyone got caught and forced to give information, they wouldn't know where most of the other Members were. Besides, only Dumbledore knew who all exactly was in the Order. It was safer that way.

"_I am speaking to the centaurs and others of my kind, requesting aid, but have not progressed a significant amount. There are a few of each willing to help our cause, but not enough. I will continue with that,_" Sudi said. Sudi was wood elf that lived in the Forbidden Forest. He was really tall and lithe. His skin was an interesting hazelnut color and his face had really pointed features. Long, sandy hair flowed halfway down his back, held out of his face because he had it tucked behind his pointed ears. The look was very strange when combined with his borrowed wizard's robes. I have no idea what he normally wore, but he felt wearing the robes served a diplomatic purpose. Dumbledore had recruited him. Somehow. I didn't even know we _had_ wood elves in the Forest. Sudi wasn't his full name, but none of us could properly pronounce it. He had taken pity on us and let us shorten it.

"What about Greyback?" Snape questioned, though it sounded more like a demand. I lowered my eyes, not being able to make contact.

"We haven't found him, yet. They're covering up their trail really well," Remus said sadly. Arthur frowned slightly in thought.

"What if you let them come to you? Let them find and recruit you, I mean." We nodded, not having thought of that yet.

"We will try," my husband told him. The members that weren't staying over or had assignments left the house quietly while others went to see them off. Molly went upstairs to get the children. A moment after the shuffling stopped, a loud crash blared through the house. The portrait of Sirius' mother in the front hallway shrieked her usual insults- her last gift to the blood traitors of her family. Remus, who had gotten up, tried to close the curtains over the yelling portrait. From the sound of it, Molly was helping him, though unsuccessfully. Sirius, having had enough, growled and got up.

"Shut up, you horrible hag, shut UP!" His mother cursed him a few times over and Sirius again insisted that she shut up. Seeing as her screeches died off, I assumed that they had managed to close it. Molly cleared her throat. I looked over, though her warning was intended for her Arthur and Bill, who were both talking quietly over a map at the other end of the table. The reason for her warning was the teenager behind Sirius.

"Harry! Good to see you," Arthur told him warmly and shook his hand. Bill asked if Harry's journey had been alright and inquired if Moody insisted on a trip via Greenland. Laughing, Tonks replied that he tried and attempted to help the Weasley boy gather up his maps, toppling a candle on the last piece of parchment.

"Oh, no. Sorry." I waved my wand and the fire went out, also repairing the damaged map.

"Thanks," Bill told me, knowing he'd get into trouble if one of the bank's maps had been damaged. His mother shoved it in his overloaded arms, telling him that things like that should have been cleared away at the end of meetings. With a wave of his wand and a spell, the scrolls vanished. Sirius introduced Harry around the table as well as refreshing names that he already knew.

"How are you, Mrs. Lupin?" he asked.

"I've had better days. And yourself?" He nodded.

"Better now that I'm here," he told me. Sirius finished introductions with Mundungus, waking up the poor man. He apologized for leaving Harry, pulled out his pipe, and lit it, only to be reprimanded by Molly for smoking in the kitchen. The raggedy man put it out quickly.

"And if you want supper before midnight, I'll need a hand. Oh, not you Harry, dear. You had a long journey," she went on as the lad stood to help. I got up and helped Molly chop the vegetables. Tonks jumped up forward, eager to help as well and said as much. "Er, no. It's alright, Tonks, you have a rest too- you've done enough today-"

"No, I want to help!" she said brightly and knocked over a chair to help Ginny, who was carrying the cutlery.

"Dear, if we need help with a catastrophe, we'll give you a call," I told her, unable to help but still feel a little snarky about her coming onto my husband.

"Oh, hush up and eat your chocolate," Tonks told me brightly, figuring I didn't really mean it.

"What choco-" Remus popped a large piece in my mouth, giving me a reproachful look. I ignored it and ate it quietly. Sirius, Harry, Remus, and Mundungus started to have a conversation, but I didn't pay attention.

"What cleaning?" I heard Harry ask and half turned to listen.

"Trying to make this place fit for human habitation. No sane thing has lived here since my mother died which is..." he trailed off, trying to remember, "ten years," Sirius said. Mundungus interrupted by asking a question about an empty goblet.

"Fred- George- NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Molly yelled at her twins. We looked around and Harry, Sirius, and Mundungus dived from the table. Fred and George had bewitched a flagon of butterbeer, the cauldron of stew, and the heavy breadboard and knife to go to the table. Only, they were hurtling through the air around everyone. Leaving a long black burn on the table, the cauldron skidded to the opposite end while the butterbeer flagon crashed on the floor, spilling the light liquid. The breadboard landed on the table with a thunk but the knife flew off, sailed through the air, sliced my right upper arm, and embedded itself in the wall. I cringed and applied pressure to the deep cut with a napkin as Molly yelled at her children. "We were just trying to save a bit of time!" Fred insisted as he took the knife out of the wall.

"Sorry, Mrs. Lupin. Didn't mean to. Are you going to be al'right?" Both boys looked really sorry when they saw the blood stained napkin. I nodded.

"Don't worry about it, boys. In a couple of weeks, you'll never have known it was there." Remus came over to check out my arm while Harry and Sirius laughed at Mundungus, who swore as he got to his feet. Molly was still going on about how the twins' brothers didn't feel the need to magic every little thing that they came across.

"Bill didn't apparate every few feet. Charlie didn't Charm everything he met! Percy-" She stopped and looked at her husband. I looked too. Percy had taken the Ministry's side instead of the Order's and said some harsh words to his father. He had left his pack. Arthur looked wooden.

"Let's eat," Bill said quickly and called everyone else down.

"It looks wonderful, Molly," Remus told her and ladled some stew for her. It took a while for the uncomfortable silence to be broken at the table, but finally Molly informed Sirius that there was something trapped in the drawing room desk and she supposed it could just be a boggart but she wanted Alastor to have a look at it just in case. Sirius didn't care. She also told him about the doxies in the curtains, saying that they could tackle them tomorrow.

"I look forward to it," Sirius said. I caught the sarcasm in his voice, but from the looks of it, Harry was the only other one to hear it. Tonks was entertaining the girls and my triplets with different noses as she did every other mealtime. I sat between Sirius and my husband, going back and forth from Remus, Bill, and Arthur's conversation on the goblins and Molly and Sirius'. The dinner was good and once everyone relaxed, so was the company. My pain almost seemed to disappear as well, as it always did when I ate Molly's cooking. Brilliant mom, she was. She yawned and commented that it was time for bed.

"Not just yet, Molly," Sirius said, turning to his godson. He mentioned he was surprised that Harry hadn't asked questions about Voldemort.

"What are you doing?" I asked, surprised. We had orders from Albus. Harry wasn't allowed to know the particulars.

"He deserves to know," Sirius said. A glance at my husband told me that he was about to take a sip of wine but warily lowered his goblet.

"I did too ask! I asked them," Harry said pointing at Ron and Hermione, "but they said that cause we aren't in the Order we can't know!"

"And they're quite right," Molly snapped, suddenly wide awake. The two went back and forth, arguing if it was appropriate to talk about Order stuff to Harry. On one hand, Harry had witnessed Voldemort's return and had been through quite a lot then got stuck in the muggle world for a month. On the other hand, ignorance was safer and Harry was not yet of age. And again, Dumbledore said not to. Fred and George were very indignant about the whole affair, as no one would tell them anything. Sirius curtly told them that it was their parent's decision, who again, insisted that they were all too young.

"He's not a child!" Sirius told Molly hotly.

"He's not an adult either, Sirius! He's not James," she retorted. I gasped and Remus raised his eyebrows. Sudi leaned forward in his seat, thoroughly interested. It was about then that I noticed that Remus had taken our pups out of the room- probably to bed.

"That was uncalled for, Molly," I murmured into my goblet. It hurt me as well to see James' face on the lad. Molly didn't answer.

"I know perfectly well who he is, thanks," Sirius told Mrs. Weasley coldly. Remus came back in quietly and sat next to me again. Molly and Sirius went back and forth some more and Molly ended up shouting for her husband to back her up. Hesitantly, Arthur told her that Harry should be filled in to a point. Remus agreed, saying a general outline from the Order would be better than hearing it from others- meaning the Weasley twins and their Extendable Ears. Molly looked at me as a last resort for help, but I shook my head.

"Sorry, dear. But Harry has a knack for trouble finding him. He needs to be armed with at least a little information. No more than necessary. Just like Dumbledore said." Hurt by everyone ruling against her, Mrs. Weasley demanded for her younger children and Hermione to go to bed, but all but Ginny was able to escape going upstairs. Loud as Ginny's complaints were, they woke the portrait of Mrs. Black. I helped Remus close the curtains then went upstairs to check on the pups; they were wide awake and waiting.

"What's wrong?" I asked and sat on Lyn's bed. She crawled into my lap.

"We know people are fighting. Out there," Mikey said. "We want to know if we're going to stay together." I hesitated.

"Well…you know your daddy and I are looking for the bad guys. We will be apart sometimes. But we're going to try to make sure one of us is always here with you three."

"But you'll always come home right?" Alex asked earnestly. "We want to be together." I frowned. They understood in a very broad sense what was going on.

"What brought this on, huh?" I asked, worried. Lyn held me tighter and the boys fiddled with their pajamas. Finally, Lyn spoke up.

"Harry doesn't have parents." _Ohhhh._ I moved my daughter off my lap and held out my arms. All three came in for a group hug.

"We'll come back every time. I promise."

I really am sorry it took me so long to get this out. Life happened. Big thanks to everyone who reviewed, urging me to get up off my lazy butt. I'll try to have the next one out in reasonable time.


	8. Chapter 8

So what did ya'll think of the joke at the end of my last chapter? Reasonable time. LOL. Sorry. Anyway, I now have all the chapters outlined. Only four more to go. Thanks for sticking with me.

We were eating dinner when we heard the door slam. Mrs. Black's portrait announced the arrival of an Order member. Remus growled at the noise and started to get up.

"No worries, Prof. We got it," Fred said hurriedly as he and his twin got up to close the curtains. Remus' only response was to take a big bite out of his rare steak. I'll say this, we ate well, thanks to Dumbledore funding the Order. I took a bite out of my own steak. The screaming stopped and the twins came back through with Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kingsley had parchment in his hand.

"Thought you two would like to see how they turned out," the bald man said, offering the papers to Remus and me. The twins, Molly, and Sirius crowded around to see. Everyone else was cleaning the house while Remus and I had our early dinner; we tend to get a little unseemly when we eat food this close to our transformations and the few in the room came to keep us company. The parchments were warning posters- one of Remus and one of me- showing everyone who to look out for and to stay away from such dangerous werewolves. We had our pictures taken two days ago. Dark circles rimmed our eyes, making them look sunken and menacing. Our hairstyles were unbrushed and unkempt. It took a bit to get it down, but we had also managed to portray a ferocious, hungry look with our eyes and smiles. We looked like predators.

Sirius gave a low whistle.

"That looks nothing like you, Moony. You look scary. And kinda cool." My husband frowned and took another big bite of his dinner.

"They came out well," Molly said. "You look rather wild, dear." After a decisive nod, she went back to cooking for the rest of the household.

"Wild is a good word for it, Molly," Sirius agreed then added in a lower tone so she wouldn't hear, "Kinda like a ravenous sex kitten." He barely managed to dodge my husband's hand as it came to smack him upside the head. I shook my head, knowing our friend was joking. Over the years, Remus developed the tendency to get more irritable and angry on the days leading up to the full moon. I was easily irritated, but mostly drained of energy. Kingsley sat across from us.

"Satisfactory?" he asked.

"I should think so," Fred said. George nodded as well and looked around.

"Where's everyone else?" he asked, referring to the people who now lived at Grimmauld Place. Remus swallowed his large bite of steak, at least having the semblance to wipe his mouth with a napkin.

"Upstairs cleaning. Except for my kids. They're napping," he explained. _'Kids'? Since when are they kids?_ Frowning slightly, I shook it off. _It's probably nothing_. Kingsley leaned forward.

"The full moon is in two days. When will you two go to Beckley?"

"Afternoon of," I told him. "We've been taking the wolfsbane potion, so our minds will be human. We'll run loose through the forest and town then hide." _Hopefully Fenrir will want us. Otherwise this will all be in vain._

"I'll run with you two through the village," Sirius said firmly. It wasn't an offer. Honestly, I was glad of it. It was always easier to keep our minds when we were with our friends. The potion should keep us safe, but an extra precaution couldn't hurt.

"A failsafe?" the tall, black man asked. Sirius smirked.

"You could say that." He placed a hand of Remus' shoulder. My husband hesitantly put his hand over his friend's. I could tell what they were thinking. The last time Sirius and Remus ran alone, I had gotten bitten. If, Merlin forbid, the potion failed, Sirius would have two fully grown werewolves to control. Sirius was promising that he wouldn't let anyone come to harm this time.

/ / / /

Beckley was quite lovely. A quaint little town, it almost seemed to have fallen out of time.

"We will be noticed, won't we?" I asked. After all, that was the point. Sirius nodded.

"Sure. Plenty of muggles and wizards here. The way news travels, Fenrir will hear about it." We walked into the village, looking around at the shops and sights, making sure my husband and I were seen. Beckley, well known for its glass blowing and iron forges, did not disappoint. Wearing muggle clothes, we blended in easily with the rest of the small town; very few gave us secondary glances. I suspected they weren't muggles. The further the sun went down, the worse Remus and I felt. Knowing we looked as bad as we felt, the three of us left the small town and took refuge in the small forest just outside the gates.

As always, the moon seemed to rise too quickly while our transformations seemed to last forever. Pain filled howls filled the night air. However, to the quiet town of Beckley, it only sounded like wolves were on the hunt. When Remus and I had our wits about us, a large black dog made itself known. Sirius huffed his greeting. I yawned mine. Remus simply looked over at the town. He hated what we were about to do, but we had to get attention drawn to us somehow. The plan was just going to break some things and eat a little food if we could get our paws on it. If our wolf instincts took over, well, that's why Sirius tagged along.

As always, Remus was pack leader; Sirius and I looked to him for the signal. He shook himself, helping his new skin resettle across his reformed bones. A long, mournful howl pierced the night. To us, it said_ Let's do what me must._ We ran.

We bounded through the village, destroying random things in the square, giving the appearance that we were looking for food. The few people that were still outside made themselves scarce. One man stumbled into his house and slammed the door so hard, it banged back open. I could smell magic on him. _Perfect. _With a small yip to Sirius, I improvised. Slowly, I stalked into his home. The fat wizard cowered in the corner, trying desperately to remember a spell to save him. Though his wand was out, it shook uselessly in his hand. He smelled so strongly. The meat part of him was tempting, but the smell of fear ruined it. Only cowardly beasts like hyenas salivated at the smell of fear. I shook my head to clear it and proceeded to look menacing for another moment.

"Come on men! Let's get 'em!" a voice called out. My delicate ears picked up the sound of humans racking the slides on their rifles. My mate howled again, so I ran out of the house and followed him up to the safety of the woods. Hidden far enough inside, the humans didn't try to follow. Now all we had to do was make sure we were seen in town the next day. Hopefully we made enough of an impression to get Fenrir's attention.

We made it back to the small clearing we were going to sleep in. Sirius had already told us he was going to stay awake to keep an eye on us. That was fine. I needed rest. Remus curled up so I went to sleep with him. As soon as I sat down, he got up and moved to the other side of the clearing. I whimpered, curious and hurt, but he ignored me and slept alone. Not knowing what I had done to make him so upset, I curled up alone and tried to get some sleep myself.

The next morning, I woke up under a small blanket that had been thrown over me at some point. Sirius was nowhere to be seen. On the other hand, Remus was leaning against a tree, fully dressed. Saying he looked ragged would be a kindness. Granted, I probably looked worse.

"Mornin'," I said with a yawn and proceeded to stretch. He huffed at me. "What?" I asked, confused. After considering me for a moment, he stood up straight and walked over to me, looming over my still sitting form.

"What did you think you were doing last night?" he asked slowly. His voice sounded almost casual, if not for the dangerous edge to it. Lowering my gaze, I shrugged. "That's not an answer."

"I followed your lead. We ransacked the town. Isn't that what the plan was?" I asked, still confused. When he didn't respond, I tilted my head a little to expose my neck. Shaking his head, Remus stalked off toward the town. I looked around for my change of clothes and, huffing, put them on.

The town was a-jitter when I walked in. Everyone was jumpy and distrust lingered in the gaze of the wizards. They knew they encountered werewolves but they didn't know if the beasts were still in their midst or if they had moved on. The muggles were just worried about wolves attacking out of the blue. After all, wolves usually didn't come close to humans unless they were starving.

Sirius and Remus were sitting at a small, outdoor café, sipping on tea. Quietly, I joined them. We acted casual but, naturally, wizards regarded us newcomers with uncertainty. Sirius could probably feel the tension between Remus and me. He was saved from having to try to say anything by the waitress coming up.

"Can I get any of you some breakfast?" she asked. Sirius treated her to a charming smile and shook his head.

"No, thank you, love. We ate pretty late last night." She nodded and walked off. However, a couple walking by slowed and regarded us warily, as if mentally confirming their suspicions. The smell of magic was all over them. _This is good. We want to be recognized. That was the point_. Despite knowing this, I was still nervous. My husband noticed my change in demeanor and raised a questioning eyebrow. Shrugging, I murmured that I was afraid of being caught. His face relaxed into a comforting half-smile and he put his hand on my cheek.

"It will work out. Just…just keep the wolf in check," he whispered, hardly moving his lips. I nodded, glad he wasn't mad at me anymore. Sirius tapped the table lightly to get our attention and nodded to the couple from before. They were holding a paper between them, looking back and forth from it to us. We had been recognized. Now all we had to do was wait for them to call it in to the Ministry. With luck, Fenrir wouldn't be too far behind.

Unfortunately, luck was with us. Late that night, a large group of people apparated near our meager campsite. One of them came forward. He was larger and looked more animalistic than the others. Remus stiffened next to me. That could only mean one thing…

"Fenrir Greyback, I presume?" I asked. It took all the willpower I had to keep my face straight and voice neutral. I knew better than to sneer openly, especially with such a powerful alpha and his huge pack in front of me. Long nails threatened to be claws, even in his human form. He was well muscled and his clothes didn't fit him properly. Parts hung on him while others were too tight. His hair was long, matted, and wild and his face…the wolf lingered there so clearly, it was almost as if he never finished shifting back to human. He took a few deep whiffs of us and laughed.

"Oh, this one would know it, lass," he said, indicating Remus. "I know my handiwork." I could feel Remus tense beside me but a sidelong look at him showed only a tired, vaguely pleasant expression. "I see you've been keeping up the line." It took a second, but I realized he meant me. Duh. My husband nodded and casually put an arm around my waist. Some of Fenrir's pack were talking quietly amongst themselves, but I didn't pay them any mind. I kept my gaze on the most dangerous party- Fenrir. The alpha pulled some papers from his ratted coat, revealing them to be our warning posters.

"You shouldn't have to hide," he said. "You shouldn't have to scrounge for food. In the new order, we'll be where we belong- at the top of the food chain. Join us. Fight with us. Unless you think there are other alternatives?" He growled and leaned forward, obviously showing his dominance over Remus.

My husband cocked his head ever so slightly to the side and said conversationally, "We'd thought you'd never ask."

Fenrir offered his arm to Remus. It was only because I had known my husband for so long that I noticed the tenseness around his eyes; I doubt anyone else did. Seemingly with no compunctions, Remus clasped his hand around the offered forearm. With only a smile that was more akin to a snarl, Fenrir initiated the disapparation.

The next few months flew by. We had been taken to the base-den of Fenrir's pack. It was a huge house and, sad to say, even Grimmauld Place was more homey. Granted, they didn't have Molly, but still. The pack seemed to like it. And, much as I hated to admit it, I almost did too.

Remus' POV

Lydia was starting to worry him. She had always been a little more…wolfish outside her transformations. Now, being around a pack for weeks at a time, she seemed like she was slipping away. Remus had always fought the urges of the wolf inside, hating every shred of its existence. If the wolf longed to be outside, he would bury himself in the most civilized place he could find. If the wolf wanted carnage, he distracted himself with any delicate task. Lydia though, seemed to be at peace with the idea. Was extended exposure really a good idea? What if she lost herself? What if he lost her?

They only stayed for a couple weeks at a time and sometimes not even that. The couple did everything with the pack, from lounging to hunting. On the days leading up to and through the full moon, they drank their wolfsbane in secret, not wanting to harm anyone, even if they were undercover. Lydia, being the more intuitive of the pair, would pick up on those who didn't have their hearts in Voldemort's cause. Remus would then start to chip away at his or her resolve and reasoning, trying to make them understand that Voldemort's way wasn't the only way.

Terry was their first convert. Powerfully built with shaggy, dirty blonde hair, he looked as if he'd had to fight for every scrap he got so he got very good at fighting. Lydia said his eyes were too soft to be from Fenrir's core pack. After a week of probing and needling, Terry asked to talk to Remus alone. They went to 'find a snack' in town.

"I'm starting to see what you're on about," Terry said, once they were out of range. Remus merely cocked an eyebrow. "Greyback is so…aggressive. I actually like muggles, for the most part. You know, without them, we wouldn't have Café Nero. And they didn't ask to be muggles. Not any more than we…"

"Asked to be turned?" Remus finished softly. Terry nodded, blue eyes sad.

"You know, it surprised me when you started talking to me. I thought it might've been one of Greyback's tricks. You still carry his scent." Remus frowned at that, feeling even more disgusted with the blood coursing through his veins. The only thing worse than being a werewolf was being reminded _which_ werewolf cursed him.

"I can understand that."

"Oh, look! A Café Nero!" Remus smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He followed Terry across the street and waited patiently as the younger man ordered. "I really like the idea of co-existence," he said once the waitress left.

"It's a wonderful idea. But it can't happen if muggles are wiped out or enslaved. It may not happen in our lifetimes, but perhaps in the future. For…for our pups and their pups. The future has to start today." Terry had a distant look about him, as if considering the idea of pups of his own. Or perhaps he was wondering if working for the future really mattered to him. Remus tried to give the outward appearance of nonchalance while internally shaking in anticipation. This was it.

"How do we proceed?" Terry asked. Remus smiled. It was a very wolfish smile, but he was so happy, he didn't mind.

"The same I did with you. We whittle away at Greyback's forces, turning them to equality, not tyranny. The Dark Lord doesn't stand a chance against Dumbledore. But we need all the help we can get. If we can turn the whole pack, we can save so many lives."

"Got it."

"Don't be too overt, though. I don't want you getting hurt. Unless it's a sure thing, wait for me or Lydia to point you in the right direction," Remus said, nerves still on end. Terry only smiled.

"No problem. We can do it."

Remus sighed, "I wish I had your surety."

Lydia's POV

It was about a week before Christmas when we got the news. Remus and I were on one of our breaks from our 'new pack' and were gratefully lounging about Grimmauld Place. At least, we were until word came that Arthur Weasley had been attacked while on guard duty. He was being taken to St. Mungo's. Molly and Bill went dead white from the news.

"I have to go to him. I-I have to go." Neither seemed to be in any state to be performing spells. I looked at my husband, who nodded.

"You go with them. I'll keep an eye on everyone here." Molly tried to smile gratefully at him, but couldn't quite manage it.

"Hold on," I told her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. I gave her a moment to brace herself before leading her to the doorstep and apparating to the hospital.

As soon as we arrived, Molly ran inside the building and latched onto the first healer she could find. Bill and I were on her heels. She demanded to see her husband and know what his condition was.

"Molly, dear, give the Healer a chance to answer," a warm voice said from behind us.

"Professor Dumbledore!" she gasped. For some reason, that seemed to be the last straw and tears gushed from her eyes, making their way down her cheeks with no indication of ceasing any time soon.

"It's alright. He's going to be just fine," the healer said now that he had been given the chance to speak. "You'll have to ask the reference desk where he is, though." Taking his direction, Molly gave Arthur's name to the lady at the desk.

"When can I see him?" The lady looked through her folders.

"Weasley…He's still unconscious, but you can sit with him. Room 208." Halfway there, it occurred to me.

"We didn't tell the others. Shouldn't you let your kids know what happened?" I inquired, glancing at the Headmaster.

"I've already sent a message," he answered, "Fawkes delivered it himself." I nodded, understanding. "However, I need to get back to the school. I will check in on everyone later," he informed us.

We found Arthur's room. He looked pretty bad. There was little color in his face and the bandages gave us an idea of how bad the injury was. Molly's tears came out full force this time but she refrained from throwing herself onto her bedridden husband, instead gingerly touching his face and holding his hand. Bill and I could only watch his sleeping form and her shaking one.

A few hours later, I brought Molly another cup of tea and told her to go 'home' and rest.

"It won't do Arthur any good to wake up and find you sick. Get some rest and come back with the children. You too, Bill. I'll stay with him." She nodded reluctantly and got up. "He's not relapsing, so he might be moved. Just ask the witch at the desk on the first floor when you come in. Don't worry. I promise I won't leave his side."

An hour later, Arthur was moved from the intensive care part of the ward because he had become stable. I followed the healers to his new room. There was another man abed in the room. Glancing at his face, I knew I'd never seen this man before, but he smelled familiar. The healers left after they had Arthur settled, who was still sleeping the pain away. Curious, I poked my head around the privacy curtain, separating the two men. He was asleep. Quietly, I stepped closer to his bed and picked up the clipboard hanging from the end.

"Oh," I breathed. _I see. He's been bitten by a werewolf._

"What do you want?" he growled. I didn't realize he was such a light sleeper.

"Nothin…" I said as I put the board back in place. "Just curious…" I backed away and darted behind the curtain, unsure why I felt so uncomfortable. It wasn't that I'd invaded his privacy, but it felt more like it was because I was seeing a newly bitten wolf. There were so many emotions coursing through me, I couldn't even place them.

All through the next couple hours, I kept looking over at the werewolf's curtain. Wanting to say something but unable to think of the words, all I could do was shift in my chair until Bill showed up.

I didn't go back until Christmas a couple of weeks later. We all went to see Arthur and wish him a Happy one. After talking to him for a bit, I nudged Remus and indicated my white elephant…er, werewolf. He nodded.

Remus' POV

He poked his head around the curtain. Lydia had told him about this poor bastard. While he felt bad for the man, Remus couldn't help but feel a small twinge of relief that Lydia was acting so human. Now it was time to remind this gent that being human was still an option.

"Happy Christmas," he said with a small smile. The man turned away with a growl. "Oh, don't be that way. Though, I don't blame you. You're in for a bad time. I'd say your first time would be the worst of it, but I'd be lying." The man turned over.

"What would you know about that?" he asked with obvious suspicion.

"Simple. I've been a werewolf since I was 9 years old," Remus told him quietly. "My name is Remus Lupin."

"Scott Milligan," the other grunted. "So you come by to make me feel worse than I already do?" Remus let out a soft chuckle.

"No. I'm sorry. I probably went about that wrong. Actually, I was going to say that you can still have a good, somewhat normal life if you try. It won't be easy, but there is hope." Scott seemed hesitant. "What did you want to do with your life?" Scott shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm an American cop on vacation. Maybe get promoted to detective. Get a girlfriend. You know. Normal stuff. Now I have to live in Yellowstone or something." The ex-teacher shook his head.

"I live in a house. With my wife and kids, even." Scott perked a little at that so Remus pulled out a wallet picture of him with his family and showed him. Scott gingerly took it.

"That's the nosey chick from a couple weeks ago. So she's your wife?" Remus nodded. "And is she one, too?" Remus hesitated at this, but nodded.

"Yes. I turned her. It was an accident- one I hope you never have. But we were already in love and made it work. I'm just saying that you can live relatively normally. I won't lie. It will be hard; some parts of society will be against you and you'll have to learn to keep the wolf in check. But it _is_ manageable. The fact that you survived the bite shows your spirit is strong enough. How you manage it is up to you."

After Scott thanked him for his kindness, Remus warned him of Fenrir and his part in the war, telling him to stay as far from them as possible. Lydia poked her head around the curtain, saying a soft hello. Scott nodded a greeting so she came fully around. Awkwardly, she asked if he was feeling any better and gave him some Christmas chocolates, teasing Renus by saying that chocolate cured almost everything. Scott thanked the couple and watched as Remus put his hand around his wife's waist. She pressed into him and Scott smiled slightly at the genuine affection. He laid back on his pillows, seeming more at peace than he had earlier.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry it's taken me a bit to get back in the swing of things. I present you a longer chapter. Hope this helps. And to those who are still with me, thank you. I don't deserve you, but I am very grateful. Please enjoy.

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Lydia's POV

I sat at the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place and pulled out a book I borrowed from the Black family library room. With the pups taking a nap and Remus working on turning a temperamental werewolf to our side, I took the opportunity to indulge in a book. At least, I would have if Sirius wasn't whining. He was slumped across the dining room table, pestering me to ask Dumbledore to let him out.

"Quit being such a puppy," I snapped at him, going back to my book.

"But I need to do _something_. I can't just sit around and be useless."

"Nope," I told him. "Bother him yourself."

"It'll have to wait! There are more important matters at hand," Sudi said, walking into the room. His grace always impressed me, even in times of urgency. "The Potter boy and company are en route to London. Logic suggests they are headed toward the Ministry, but we're not sure. Sirius and I nearly leapt out of our chairs to get to the door.

"Who all is available and close enough for combat?" Sirius asked the waldgeist. "Not very many," he replied sadly. "There's Moody, Tonks, Remus- maybe, and Kingsley." Sirius nodded and spared a sidewise glance at me.

"I'm going. That's my godson out there," he said.

"I'd be stupid to try to stop you," I responded. "Have the other Order members been contacted?" the question being directed at the chestnut skinned elf. He nodded. "Then hold on," I told them and apparated to the Department of Mysteries.

We all met up just outside the Department of Mysteries outer door.

"They're already inside?" Moody growled as he plowed through the door. Without speaking, everyone knew which way to go- to the prophecy room. The kids had to be there. But no. Just a huge mess and an unconscious Death Eater.

"Where are they?" Kingsley murmured angrily. I sniffed the air, hoping to catch a scent, even in my human form. There seemed to be something to the right. Mad-Eye looked around the room and before I could say anything, he growled "That way- through those doors. The room with the Gate." The group followed the grizzled auror. I never could understand how he knew how to do that. The Order burst through the doors. Tonks immediately sent a stunning spell at Lucius Malfoy, who had Harry cornered. I jumped down, ignoring the stairs, and pushed Bellatrix into the wall before rounding on a masked Death Eater. He hurled curse after curse at me. I moved quickly, utilizing the heightened werewolf speed, and appeared behind him. A quick blast of a knockout spell dropped him. With a quick survey of the room, I noticed that Sirius was dueling a Death Eater about 15 feet away, Kingsley was fending off two, Tonks was firing spells down at Bellatrix (who had gotten up), the others behind me. But there! Harry was in trouble. I had to get to him. But someone grabbed me from behind.

"Argh," I grunted and thrashed, to no avail. Suddenly, the Death Eater jolted and let go, crumbling to the floor. Remus appeared and moved to stand back to back with me. I looked over to see that the Longbottom boy had saved Harry. But now Moody was in trouble. A Death Eater stood over the bleeding auror and aimed an attack at the boys. He hit Neville with the Tarantallegra curse and tried to get Harry with the same attack. I ran forward, throwing a counter attack, but Harry used a shield charm. Sirius came from nowhere and rammed the man. _Sirius can protect them. I've got to help Moody,_ I thought hurriedly and ran. I kneeled next to the old wizard and started to bandage his head wound.

"Get the younglings out!" Sudi yelled from the other side of the huge room as Bellatrix knocked Tonks out. Summoning Alastor's eye, I pushed it into my pocket and went to see if Tonks was still alive- she was, though only just.

"Sudi! Get Mad-Eye and Tonks out of the melee. Then find the others younglings and get them to safety." He nodded an acknowledgment just as a Death Eater shot a spell at him.

"We won't let you leave alive!" he shouted. The waldgeist smirked as his opponent's legs broke in multiple places. He crumbled to the ground, screaming in pain.

"Should have knocked on wood," Sudi said and picked the two aurors up, allowing me to get to Harry and Neville. "Alright, idiots. You've done fine. Now let's go," I told them and helped Neville to stand. A powerful presence pressed on me.

"It's Dumbledore!" Longbottom exclaimed. There was no mistaking it; it WAS Dumbledore. He sped past the lot of us. Death Eaters, once they realized who had entered, fled.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" I heard Sirius taunted, enthused voice echoing throughout the room. I turned. _Figures he wouldn't notice such a presence. He's so absorbed in having fun that he has no idea that the tables have turned._

Then it happened. It was all in slow motion.

Bellatrix fired a spell that hit Sirius square in the chest. His laughter was still echoing in the room but his surprise was obvious. I hadn't noticed before how close to the Gate they were fighting. Still in slow motion, Sirius fell. I ran, my friend's life depending on it. But he fell through just as I skidded on the floor and reached out. I screamed as he went through, my fingers just missing his foot.

Remus' POV

Sirius went through the archway. Harry called out for his godfather. He sprinted toward the dais, but Remus grabbed him around the chest, holding him back.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry," he told the teen, his own voice distant.

"What are you talking about?! Get him! Save him! He's only just gone through!" Harry demanded. Remus wanted to do just that- save his best friend, but there was no way. He was gone.

"It's too late, Harry-"

"We can still reach him!" he argued and struggled viciously. But the werewolf wouldn't let go.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry...nothing...he's gone."

"He's not gone!" Harry screamed then bellowed for Sirius. "He can't come back. Sirius can't come back," Remus told him, voice breaking. "He can't come back because he's d-"

"HE IS NOT DEAD! SIRIUS!" Harry shouted. Slowly, the reality seeped into the boy and his struggles had less effort to them. Swallowing his emotions, Remus quietly fixed Neville's legs.

"Lydia! Come on!" he called to his wife, trying hard to keep his voice from cracking. Pale, he told the kids, "Let's- let's find the others. Where are they all, Neville?" As soon as the boy told him where the others were, Kingsley yelled in pain. Bellatrix, having taken down another Order member, ran for it. Dumbledore fired a spell, but she deflected it. Harry saw her and lurched forward, death in his eyes. "Harry, no!" Remus cried as the teen slipped from his grasp and raced after her.

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS! SHE KILLED HIM- I'LL KILL HER!" he shouted.

Lydia's POV

He was gone. I couldn't save him. Even being what I am, I couldn't save him. _He's gone and it's my fault._ Harry's screams made it all the worse. The crying out for his uncle tore my heart to shreds.

"Lydia! Come on!" I heard my husband call out. But I couldn't move. I couldn't bring myself to move. All I could do was stare at the place Sirius' foot used to be.

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS! SHE KILLED HIM- I'LL KILL HER!" Harry's voice echoed through the room. That broke my fixation and Remus' hand on my shoulder startled me.

"We need to go, love," he said, voice strained. I nodded and allowed him to help me up. I could see the same loss and hurt that I felt in his eyes.

~later~

I sat in the upstairs room, staring in the dark at the spot where Buckbeak once rested. He had been taken to Hagrid's for better keeping, but I missed him. He had kept Sirius company. _I said he could come with us. I let him come. And why couldn't I save him? Just an inch further. An inch more, damn it! I want him back! I want him back._ I took another huge swig of the Vodka, finishing it. Sneering at the empty bottle, I threw it, hearing it shatter against the wall. I had shut off my emotions at first, to push away the guilt. But the guilt wore away at my inner dam and ended up flooding me. The numbing effect of alcohol seemed to do the trick, though. Almost. Being left out of missions didn't help matters. _I'm useless. I couldn't save my friend and now my own husband won't trust me. Sure, he tries to make it sound nice by saying I should rest and spend time with the pups, but I can see it in his eyes. He thinks I'll get us killed if left in the field long enough._

_He's probably right, too…_

Remus' POV

The full moon would be up in just a couple of hours. Remus sat at the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place wondering what to do. Lydia was upstairs again, drinking away her sorrows. Tonks sat across from him, staring blankly into her tea through mouse brown bangs. Frankly, he admired the young lady. Like Lydia, she blamed herself for Sirius' death, though because she was fighting Bellatrix and lost, leaving Sirius to fight her. Remus had tried to talk her around, but she was still in shock. She even had trouble with her metamorphosing. But Tonks was still out and attempting to function. Unlike his wife. Gently, he had told Lydia to stay back while he carried on their mission himself. With her head and heart being so far out of the game, they might not be able to keep their cover.

"So what's going to happen?" Tonks asked quietly, interrupting Remus' thoughts.

"I don't know," he sighed. Sirius' will had been found that morning and he'd left everything to Harry. This posed a problem because the Black estate was to be passed on to the next male with the name of 'Black' according to tradition and enchantment. But both Sirius and Regulus were now dead and had no children. If the enchantment didn't except Harry, it would go to Bellatrix. It was a wonder she hadn't shown up on the doorstep yet. Dumbledore had been notified and he said to clear out and get to the Burrow until further notice. However, with the full moon rising, Dumbledore had deemed the Lupin family staying for one more night a necessary risk. After all, the Burrow wasn't werewolf proof. Shaking his head, Remus stood.

"You go ahead. I need to get Lydia downstairs."

"I'll help," Tonks offered in a monotone voice.

"No. I should have done this a while back. Get to the Burrow safely. We'll see you tomorrow," he instructed. She nodded and left, leaving the manor empty save the Lupin family. He walked upstairs with deliberate steps. His wife was on the floor, legs pulled to her chest as she stared fixedly at the wall. Empty alcohol bottles littered the floor.

"Get up," he ordered in a quiet but firm voice.

"No."

"Get up," he repeated a little louder. She ignored him that time. Hating every moment, Remus grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her to a standing position. She glared at her husband with loathing.

"Who gave you the right to tell me when I can and can't grieve?!" she demanded. "I am allowed to weep for my friend! I am allowed to hate myself for not being able to save him! I-"

Remus slapped her hard across the face and told her harshly, "Now listen to me, Lydia Lupin. Listen! I am not telling you that you are not allowed to mourn Sirius' death- we are all mourning it- but that does not give you the right to act the way you are. You've-" He was cut off by her pushing him away.

"How DARE you slap me! And YOU'RE the one who always says that a gentleman doesn't hit a lady."

"You're not acting like a lady," he informed her coldly. Glaring at him, she tried to throw a punch. However, in her drunken state, she only managed to throw herself off balance and fall over. Then she convulsed. Remus looked at the window. The curtains were drawn, but he could feel the moon's pull. _It's rising? It's sooner than expected! _Remus doubled over as the werewolf arose from within him. Thankfully, he had been taking the wolfsbane potion. His mind wouldn't change with his body. Unfortunately, Lydia hadn't taken it once. She wasn't going to be easy to deal with. When the transformation was done, Remus looked at her through glowing, gold eyes. Still of sane mind, he prowled around her, waiting to see what she did next. She crouched, legs ready to spring.

"_Don't start this,"_ he warned.

"_Start what?"_ she growled and flung herself onto the larger wolf, her teeth sinking into the space between his shoulder and neck. Yelping, Remus twisted, scratching at her with his claws then biting her foreleg. She let loose, whimpering and licking the wounds. She backed into the window curtain and got caught. She struggled and the old material ripped. Moonlight shone through the dusty window, invigorating both of them. Enraging Lydia. Snarling, she freed herself and launched herself at him, bloodlust in her eyes. Remus dodged then launched himself at her, taking her to the ground heavily. After tousling for a few minutes, he ended up on top, pinning her.

"_I said listen to me. You shunned your work, your friends...you shunned your own children, Lydia. Our pups. You've shunned me...This can't go on. I know you feel responsible for Sirius' death, but it's not your fault. Bellatrix killed him. It was her, not you. You need to see that."_ His mate's thrashes underneath him came close to stopping and her breathing slowed. She looked at him with pain-filled eyes as everything started to seep in. _"I'm here for you. We all are. You just have to let us in. You got that?"_ Remus demanded. Slowly, she nodded so he got off her.

"_Then why leave me behind? If you don't trust me-"_

"_I trust you when your head isn't affected by alcohol and guilt. I don't want you to die. Get it? You're smarter than this. Act like it." _Again, she nodded. Remus licked the bite on her foreleg, looking at her with imploring eyes to show how sorry he was for resorting to those measures. She whimpered her own apology. Suddenly remembering her pups, she jumped to her paws and ran downstairs. They were right where Remus left them- asleep in the locked basement. Lydia whimpered again, this time at being separated from her young. Remus treated her with a look and he could tell she understood the reproach in it. If she hadn't been so reclusive, they wouldn't be locked out of the basement. She laid down in front of the door, worry evident in her eyes. Remus laid down next to his mate, offering comfort with his warm body. She pressed into it, finally accepting the comfort that had been there since Sirius' passing.

Lydia's POV

I woke at dawn naked outside the basement door. The alcohol had been purged from my system and the fight marks from the night before had disappeared. Looking at my husband, I sighed. As usual, he looked terribly worn out. Of course, the fight wounds on him were gone as well. _What it means to be immortal...to live through such pain...for so long..._ I ran my fingers through his hair; there were thicker streaks of grey in his hair now. _But it's still so soft._ Granted, my hair color only looked better because I went through the time and effort to dye it. Remus never cared and somehow, it suited him.

"Morning, beautiful," he murmured drowsily. I offered a weak smile in reply before getting up to let the pups out. "You're right, you look terrible," he teased. "Let's get to the Burrow before Lestrange shows up."

When we got to the Burrow, Remus asked Molly to take care of me.

"But where are you going?" I asked, astonished.

"I need to get back to Fenrir's pack. You know we can't be gone for too long." Though I knew it was necessary, I didn't care for it. Lyn yawned and snuggled closer to my chest. Alex and Mikey weren't any more awake.

"Right. I'd better get them back to bed," I told him and walked into the kitchen with my pups. The twins noticed me and got up, whispering that they'd put the kids down for me. Thanking them, I went back to see my mate off.

"- needs to come to peace with it. Could you-"

"Leave it to me," Molly responded warmly, cutting off Remus mid-sentence. Tentatively, I walked up to them. A short farewell and a lingering kiss later, my mate was gone and Molly was gently pushing me up the stairs.

"Alright, dearie. Let's get you cleaned up. First, let's get you a bath." Ginny, Molly's youngest child, poked her head out of her room as we passed it.

"I'll help," she offered and started walking up the stairs behind her mother. "Phlegm is playing kissy-face with Bill and I don't want to throw up," she continued. Muttering darkly under her breath, Molly guided me into a large bathroom.

"Who's Phlegm?" I asked.

"Fleur Delacour, a French git that thanks she's better than everyone else and likes to spit swap with Bill," Ginny spat. "No one likes her."

"I hadn't noticed," I murmured.

By the end of the day, I despised the girl too. She insisted on helping to brush my hair and the like after my bath but made snide remarks the entire time. From the sound of it, she didn't even realize she was insulting me or her hosts. Ginny was right; she was annoying and thought she was better than everyone else. True, she was quite pretty, but that was no excuse to act so high and mighty. When I snapped at her, she obliviously left to check on dinner. A few minutes later, Hermione came in and locked the door behind her, muttering about Phlegm disturbing her work in the kitchen. Admittedly, I was enjoying the pampering. Having someone taking care of me after my conversation with Remus just made me feel like everything was going to fine. A conversation in French was heard outside the door. After a few minutes of it, one of the voices, a male, came through the door. It was muffled and the language wasn't like anything we had heard before.

"Was that Sudi? What did he say?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I have no idea," Molly said. Ginny snorted as Molly gave a sound of pity. He said something else and a few minutes later, he slipped in through the outside window.

"I apologize for the intrusion. That girl would not stop talking." We all told him we didn't mind and completely understood. No one bothered to question him how he managed to get through the window.

Ginny looked at him and unabashedly asked, "What are you?" He laughed. It was strange; I could hear the sound of wind moving through trees as he did it.

"I am a waldgeist. A tree spirit or wood elf, whichever you prefer. We enjoy causing misfortunes to humans. Ever hear of 'knock on wood'? That's because of us. If you knock on our wood as you say something, we can't hear it to jinx it. It's all in good fun. Unless the person deserves it. Then it's just fun for us."

"Huh," Ginny managed to say as she nodded. She summed it up pretty well. He picked up Molly's cosmetics one by one and examined them, unaware or uncaring of how awkward we felt.

"What do you think of Tonks?" Molly asked me in an apparent attempt to break the silence.

"I find her cute, fascinating and- Oh. You weren't talking to me," Sudi said and put down a lipstick tube and picked up a powder brush. His cheeks turned a darker shade of brown. _Is he blushing?_

"She's not too bad, I suppose. Why?" I asked.

"Mom thinks she would be better suited with Bill than Phlegm," Ginny said. Sudi snorted, but said nothing.

"Thank you," I murmured. I meant it, but it was also to get questioning eyes off Sudi.

"You're welcome, dearie. Ginny won't let me brush her hair anymore and it's quite relaxing." I knew Molly understood what I was thanking her for, though she didn't address it.

A few weeks later, Dumbledore dropped off Harry. While I joined Remus more now, he insisted on easing me back into work. The Weasleys insisted that we weren't a bother and they loved the pups. We only apparated back to our locked up house for the full moon for everyone's safety. It was only a few weeks later before Harry's birthday came around. Though all we really had was bad news, Remus, the pups, and I still showed up to wish him well. He fell gratefully into one of the many chairs while I stretched out on the floor next to him. We looked terrible and hoped Harry wouldn't take offense. It took a lot of will power to eat the cake in a seemly manner; it tasted amazing.

"So what's happened?" Arthur asked us.

"There have been another couple of dementor attacks. And they found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it. I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters," Remus replied.

"Yes, well," Molly said with a frown, "perhaps we should talk of something diff-" Bill jumped in.

"Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus? The man who ran-?" "

"The ice cream place in Diagon Alley?" Harry asked. "He used to give me free ice creams. What happened to him?" Bill looked at him.

"Dragged off, by the look of his place."

"Why?" asked Ron. Bill shrugged.

"Who knows? He must've upset them somehow. He was a good man, Florean."

"Actually, he had been hiding people Voldemort wanted. He's dead now," Sudi said from his position leaning against the wall. Everyone looked at him as he took another bite of his cake.

"One of my own recruits saw it. He tried to get the Death Eaters."

"You mean he tried to save Mr. Fortescue," Hermione said.

"No, that's not what I said, is it? Humans die, you know. Our job is to take out Death Eaters and find out what they're up to. That's what they're doing," he said and took another bite. "This is really good, Mrs. Weasley!" he told her happily.

"Um, thank you, dear. Have another piece," she said, a little shaken. It was this sort of indifferent and casual attitude toward death that reminded the others that some in the Order weren't real people- most of the time not even pretending to be.

"So you really believe us humans just to be foolish creatures, then?" Hermione demanded, lips drawn tight. Sudi put down his cake and looked at her curiously.

"You're putting words in my mouth again, little one. How to put this so you'll understand... We are wood elves, spirits of the trees. Life and Death are very natural for us. It comes and goes as the seasons do. Just as humans have a hard time understanding different cultures, my kind doesn't see death the same way humans do. If it happens, then it happens. We signed a contract with your Dumbledore to take out any Death Eaters. That was a rule of the game we agreed to play. My friend was playing by the rules he was given." The color had drained from the girl's face; she hadn't expected that humans could be treated like pieces on a board.

"Would _you_ have saved him?" Harry asked the wood elf quietly. Sudi tilted his head in consideration and took a bite of his second piece of cake.

"Probably. My first priority would be to getting the Death Eaters. Florean would have been second. If I liked him or deemed him worth saving. After all, it is in our nature to decide how far our jinxes should go by judging the heart and humility of the human." Harry nodded.

"You would have saved him then, if you could. He was a good, generous man." Sudi offered a small smile and went back to his cake.

"Well, talking of Diagon Ally," Arthur said quickly, "looks like Olivander's gone too."

"The wandmaker?" asked Ginny.

"That's the one. Shop's empty. No sign of a struggle. No one knows whether he left voluntarily or was kidnapped." Everyone glanced at Sudi, Remus, and me for input, but none of us had word of his disappearance.

"But wands- what'll people do for wands?" Ginny asked. Remus spoke up.

"They'll make do with other makers. But Ollivander was the best, and if the other side have him, it's not so good for us." Shaking my head at all the gloom, I couldn't help but try to turn the tide.

"It's Harry's birthday and all we can talk about is _this_? There have been bright points, too. We've managed to get about a fourth of Fenrir's pack to our side. And you're spending the remaining part of the summer here at the Burrow with your best mates, Harry. That's got to be fun. So, what do you lot have planned?" I asked. They replied that they were really wanting to hang out, maybe play a little quidditch, or who knows what else. They seemed to brighten up a little, but there was that shadow behind Harry's eyes. If only the weight of the world didn't hang on someone so young.

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Well, there you go. Chapter 9. We're in the home stretch, now. Again, thanks for reading. Remember that I'm open to constructive criticism and opinions so feel free to review or message. I'd love your input.


	10. Chapter 10 A

William stalked around the outer building, the stealth coming naturally to his cursed body, even if it was a few weeks before the full moon. A sick smile spread across his face. Grabbing three kids from a classroom? Simple. Why? It didn't matter. It was what Fenrir wanted, so there was no question. No hesitation. And if he got to play around with the pretty little school teacher, all the better. He stalked into the school. No one was in the front foyer and the lady in the office had her back turned. Taking his chance, William moved quickly down the hallway. It was a small Year 1 building, only containing a few classrooms. He casually made his way to the right room, making sure to not be seen. He peaked into the last room on the right; the children were sitting in a circle, listening to her tell a story. The teacher was sitting on a tall stool, her back to the door. Quietly, he slipped into the room and walked behind her. A normal human would probably wait until naptime sneak up behind his target and take her out quietly as to not alert anyone and get away with what he wanted. But William didn't think like a normal human. Nor did he think like a wolf. He didn't think much, really. He felt. He followed every instinctual feeling he had. An aura of calm emanated from the teacher as she read. The children didn't seem worried about William's intrusion. Only curious. She noticed their confusion and turned to look. The teacher was very cute, dirty blonde hair pulled back into a bun and black rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Her large hazel eyes changed from serene care to confusion as well. That wouldn't do. Those eyes needed to hold fear. He needed to hear fear. Feel her fear. Not just hers. All of theirs. He backhanded the young teacher off her stool. She half fell, half flew into the bookshelf on wall. A few of the kids started screaming, while others cried. A few seemed to be too shocked to do anything. And then there were the targets. They were shocked, but he could tell from their expressions that their shock came from recognizing another wolf. William couldn't help but be a little sad that it wasn't the full moon; he would have loved to eat a few of the tender brats in front of their teacher. But then, they wouldn't be in school at night. Oh well.

"You three. Come here," he said gruffly, pointing to the Lupin children. He didn't wait for them to come forward, though. Instead, he made for them.

Lydia's POV

It had been a week since I'd been back on the job. Being with "the pack" again was almost strange. It was like I had to start back at the bottom and prove myself all over again. When I was told Greyback wanted to talk to me, my heart rate skyrocketed. _Calm down. It's nothing._ Remus wasn't anywhere near for me to let him know where I was going. _Oh, well. It shouldn't be a problem._ With a shrug, I followed the pack's beta back to Fenrir's office. It wasn't much of an office, but then, we didn't have much of a den. Apparently, the old den had been deemed compromised, so the pack moved. Now, we resided in a "vacated" office building. Everything was dark, damaged, and ratty, much like the majority of Fenrir's pack.

"Hullo, Lydia," Fenrir practically growled when I entered the room. Instinctively, I tilted my head a little to expose my neck. He smirked and signaled for his beta to leave. "Follow me," he instructed me. Hesitantly, I complied. He led me down to the basement. I tensed with every step but tried my hardest not to show it. _At least it's not the full moon. I'd never be able to take him as a wolf. At least as a human, I might have dexterity on my side. But if he suspected me, he would have just taken me out, right? In front of everyone would reaffirm his power and status. What's going on?_

We arrived at the basement level and he led me down a few aisles of long forgotten boxes and paperwork. The scent of the musk and dust almost knocked me over. I wanted to ask him where he was taking me, but the words wouldn't come. Finally, we arrived at a wall with many doors. He picked the second from the left and opened it, grabbing my wrist as he did so.

"Hey! What're you doing?" I demanded. Choosing to ignore my question, he shoved me in the room. A huge cage had been placed…or made inside it. He tossed me inside it before slamming the cage door shut and locking it. Leisurely, the alpha leaned against the opposite wall.

"So, I'll just say it," he started. "I know you work for Dumbledore. You and your mate. That wasn't very nice. Especially after all that I've done for you." I snorted from my position on the floor. Again, he ignored my insubordination.

"Did you know some people call our existence a _curse_? An _affliction_? Yes, I thought you knew. Some people think we should be dead just for existing. Did you know your mate's father was one of them?" That shocked me. I never knew Lyall, but Remus never mentioned something so unsavory about him. Was he cruel to Remus about what he became?

"Yes, I see your surprise. I know this because he told me as much. So I bit his son. Delicious, isn't it?" I glowered at the madman. He laughed. It was a bark-like laugh, but nothing like Sirius'. Sirius' laugh had so much light and humor to it. Fenrir's made my stomach churn and sent a shiver down my spine.

"Did you know there is a way to get rid of our gift? Of course, it's bloody. Ahh, I see your curiosity. Should I tell you? Hmmmm, well, I suppose I could." He pushed off the wall and stalked over to my cage and leaned against it, eyes glinting maliciously at me. "You have to kill the wolf that turned you." The knowledge jarred me. But what surprised me even more was him telling me.

"Why would you tell me?" I asked outright. His smile became even more twisted.

"Because I like to inflict pain. I'll come right out with it. You have a very hard choice to make. Kill your husband and you can be human again and live happily with your children. Or, I'll kill the brats right in front of you before I feed you and your mate to my pack. Do you see how hard this will be? Either way, you kill someone. _That_ is the punishment for working against me." I stared at him with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"W-what?" I barely managed to get out. He laughed outright at me. "No. I don't believe you!" I told him. I couldn't believe him. It couldn't be true He couldn't kill my children.

"Perhaps you need some incentive." He opened the door and a scruffy man with a face that could only be described as deranged came in. He had my pups with him, bound and gagged. Tears streamed down their faces and they looked terrified. Fenrir took Michael from the new man held up his claws to the boy's neck.

"Well? Which will it be?"


	11. Chapter 10 B

"Well? Which will it be?"

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"You three. Come here," the wolfish man said gruffly, pointing to the Lupin children. He didn't wait for them to come forward, though. Instead, he made for them.

CRACK

The intruder fell to the floor with a heavy thump. The teacher stood over his limp form, broken stool clutched in her fingers, panting heavily. Blood trickled from a cut under her hairline.

"You're (pant) not supposed (pant) to interrupt during story time," she said. Her class cheered. (There is always something about violence that children enjoy.) She turned to face the class. "Everyone safe? No one hurt? Good. Um, pick a book off the shelf and read to yourself." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed 112. Let the police sort it out. Once that was done, she turned back to her students. They didn't seem particularly shaken by the encounter. Well, most of them didn't. Three looked decidedly guilty. She called them over to the other side of the room. "Did he scare you? It's ok if he did," she told them gently. Ariilyn, Alexander, and Michael Lupin looked up at her with wide, guilty amber eyes.

"No, we're not scared. We're sorry," Alex said, shuffling his shoe.

"Why would you be sorry?" their teacher asked, astounded.

"He wanted us. It's our fault," Lyn explained. The teacher shook her head.

"It's not your fault. Why would you even think that?" Michael shrugged.

"He wanted us because our parents are secret agents. If they kidnap us, they can use us against mum and dad… But you can't tell anyone." The teacher stared in amazement. Can that be true? What other reason could there be? It's not like the Lupins were a famously wealthy family that could pay a ransom. She sighed.

"Let's call your parents, huh?" They nodded in unison.

"I hope Mr. Weasley answers," Alex murmured to his brother, "I like it when he screams in his 'fellytone'."

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Lydia's POV

"Perhaps you need some incentive." He opened the door and a scruffy man with a face that could only be described as deranged came in. He had my pups with him, bound and gagged. Tears streamed down their faces and they looked terrified. Fenrir took Michael from the new man held up his claws to the boy's neck.

"Well? Which will it be?" My mind shut off in terror. I stared at my children held captive by a rabid beast. They stared at me with their large, amber eyes. But something in my mind told me not to listen. I recognized it as my wolf instincts. Something was off. I couldn't smell their fear. Actually, I couldn't smell them at all. Even so far from the moon, my senses were strong enough to pick up scents.

The kids were an illusion.

I smirked at Greyback.

"Do what you want with them. Those aren't mine," I told him.

"Are you willing to risk your children's lives on that?" I didn't want to, but my instincts told me that they weren't mine. I nodded. Then the door burst open. A battle-worn Remus appeared, cricket bat in hand and Terry and other werewolves that had defected at his heels.

"Trying the same lame trick over here, Greyback?" my husband taunted. I smiled wearily at him. As Terry leapt on Fenrir, Remus ran forward to break me out.

"The jig is up, huh?" I asked. "Sorry, Dumbledore." He nodded, the same weariness showing on his features. Once the door was opened, Remus took my hand.

"We need to leave. Now." It wasn't a suggestion and I wasn't about to argue. We managed to dodge around most of the fighting to get out of the basement. The pack we weren't able to dodge, Remus bashed aside with his bat and kept running.

"What about the others?" I asked as we ran.

"They moved on their own when we were taken. Terry told me that we need to get out and they'll hold the others off. We'll meet up with them later."

"Will they be safe?" I asked. He didn't answer me, instead he kept running, pulling me all the while. _That's what I was afraid of. We probably won't be meeting up with many of them later on, will we?_ Gritting my teeth, I ran harder. We had to get out or our friends' sacrifice would be for nothing. And our pups. What happened to our pups? It took us a while, but we managed to escape the building and the apparate-proof perimeter. As soon as we were out of range, we aparated to a forest. Then a nearby village. Then London. Then just near the Burrow. After all, it's always safer to not go directly to the desired destination just in case someone managed to follow.

Thankfully, we arrived at the Burrow safely with no interference. Our pups, who had been eating cookies outside, dropped their treats and ran to hug us, apologizing the entire time.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked them. All at once, they explained what happened at school that day. I sighed.

"Looks like we're going to have to find a new school for them," I told my husband. He nodded tiredly.

"Yes, but let's get some rest first. We still have to meet with our pack at moonrise."

Later that night, I asked him what Fenrir said to him.

"When he had me locked up? He wanted me to really defect to his pack or he'd kill our pups. Why? Wasn't it the same for you?" he asked, worry obvious on his face. I shook my head and refused to look at him. "Lydia?" he asked, tilting my face toward his. "What did he want?"

"He told me that I could be human again and live with the pups peacefully," I whispered.

"How?" he asked, unbelieving. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. "How?" he repeated.

"He said you have to kill the werewolf that bit you," I told him, looking away again. He was stunned. "It didn't even cross my mind. I would never do that to you," I told him. "Ever." If possible, he looked more stunned.

"I know." His eyes became distant, though.

"Remus? What are you thinking?" He hesitated, as though he didn't want to tell me, but then relented.

"As if I needed another reason to rip apart Greyback...but if I did, would you change, too? And our little ones? What would happen to them? They're natural born. And if they had human parents..." I shushed him.

"Let's not worry about that right now. Like you said, let's get some rest." He nodded and led the way to "our" room.

As expected, there were about half of our defectors left and they were pretty banged up. It was heartbreaking to see them like that, especially knowing they had gone through that for us. The only thing that kept me from feeling overwhelmingly guilty was their eyes. Their eyes gleamed with defiance and resoluteness. They knew the risks, just as we did. And they knew what was at stake, just as we did. We knew what we were fighting for. At least we put a sizeable dent into Fenrir's pack.

/

"Happy Christmas Eve, everyone," I said cheerfully, coming through the Burrow's kitchen door.

"Mum!" the triplets yelled happily as they ran down the stairs.

"Hey kiddos, what ya got there?" I asked them, indicating the breakfast table.

"Truffles and gingerbread men!" Alex replied excitedly.

"Ek-hem," came the sound of someone clearing his throat from behind me. The pups looked behind me.

"Dad!" they shouted in unison, just then realizing their father had come back with me. Unfortunately, it had been a while since we had seen our little ones. We had been out recruiting and performing our own guerilla warfare on Fenrir's pack. It was hard, dangerous work, but it had to be done. One of us would stop by the Burrow at least once a week to check in with the pups. We didn't want to chance them in another school and Molly was only too happy to keep them safe. She was also more than adequate as a teacher. Personally, I think she needed the distraction from worrying about everyone and everything. I sighed. It was just nice to see them all safe and have us all together for Christmas, even if we were afraid to go home.

Remus' POV

Remus watched his wife as she helped the pups decorate their cookies. _She seems so worn out. It's like the years are finally catching up to her. Her eyes have the same haunted look about them that Sirius had not so long ago. Not as bad, but definitely not healthy. And her skin is so pale._ _She's tired._ _This stress is taking its toll on her. I hope this war ends soon. For everyone's sake. _The day went by quiet enough. He spent the time with his children and wife, enjoying every minute of just being around them. It was such a pleasant change from fighting werewolves all day long.

Lydia's POV

That night, I sat by Remus' feet as he stared into the living room's brightly burning fireplace. Determined to at least put on a cheery front, I smiled at Ginny, Alexander, Ariilyn, and Michael's work- they had paper chained the entire room for the holiday. The tree was pretty and sparkling and the Burrow just had the perfect cozy atmosphere. Molly had turned on the radio to listen to a broadcast by her favorite singer, Celestina Warbeck. Fleur seemed to find her dull and kept trying to talk over the radio, though Mrs. Weasley would promptly turn up the volume with a scowl. Mikey finally crawled into my lap with a very big yawn and I stroked his hair while I listened in to Harry and Arthur's conversation. Apparently, Harry had witnessed Snape offering to help the young Malfoy out in some Death Eater business. Harry wanted someone to believe that Snape was a traitor. When Alex decided that he had enough excitement for one night (though it was near unbelievable) and crawled into his father's lap, Remus turned to tell Harry that it wasn't anybody's business to know except for Dumbledore, who trusts Snape. Potter insisted that Dumbledore might be wrong.

"He could be," I told him quietly- Mikey had fallen asleep- "but when it comes to trust, I've never known the man to be wrong. He's not perfect, he'd be even more formidable if he was, but _you_ have to trust his judgment. Give me Alex, darling. I'll take them upstairs," I said, standing and holding out my left arm for the sleeping boy; Mikey rested on my right hip, snuggled close to my bosom.

"Want help? Lyn is asleep, too," he asked, indicating the girl curled up against a nodding off Ginny.

"I'll get her in a minute," I whispered. He gently handed over his son and went back to trying to reason with Harry. They were still talking as I took my girl upstairs. I came back downstairs just as Celestina finished her last song. Molly clapped enthusiastically along with the recorded audience.

"Eez eet over?" the French girl asked loudly. "Thank goodness, what an 'orrible-" Arthur jumped to his feet, interrupting her by asking who wanted a nightcap. I went to help get the eggnog.

"How do you do it, Arthur?"

"Do what?" he asked as he got out the glasses.

"Manage them all. Keep so many in line. Your children have all turned out so well and-" He hugged me.

"Things come as they come. Do you really think our children are in line? Against our desires, Charlie left us for dangerous work in Romania. Fred and George left school! And Percy...Percy won't even speak to us. We're not so orderly, Lydia."

"I'm sorry," I murmured. Percy was a painful subject for Arthur, though not so much for him as his wife.

"It's fine. And don't worry." I shook my head.

"Have you ever been afraid that your children will…get out of control?" Arthur looked sidelong at me as he poured the eggnog.

"I'm still afraid that my boys will blow up the house," he told me with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't. "Listen," he said as I poured the whiskey into the glasses, "Your children are special. But so are you and Remus. They're werewolves, yes, but so are you. Children growing up can be scary, especially when magic is involved. What has Remus said about this?" I looked everywhere but at him. He sighed. "Don't worry. Alright? And talk to Remus," he said with confidence. I nodded and smiled, though not entirely meaning it. "Atta girl. Come on. Let's get these out before Molly kills Phlegm." After taking a quick gulp from the whiskey bottle, I followed Arthur out with my small tray. I served Remus last, handing him his drink as I sat on his lap. He became slightly more cheerful as he thanked me. Harry was still talking to Remus.

"Have either of you heard of someone called the Half-Blood Prince?" I looked at my husband, confused. He looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed.

"The half-blood what?" Remus asked, turning back to the boy.

"Prince," he replied, looking intent.

"There aren't any Wizarding princes," I told Harry, "Never have been." Remus was smiling.

"Is this a title you're thinking of adopting? I should have thought being 'the Chosen One' would be enough." Harry pouted.

"It's nothing to do with me!" he said indignantly. "The Half-Blood Prince is someone who used to go to Hogwarts; I've got his old Potions book. He wrote spells all over it, spells he invented. One of them was Levicorpus-" I smiled, remembering back when that spell was used in school. My husband was also reminiscent.

"Oh, that one had a great vogue during my time at Hogwarts. There were a few months in my fifth year when you couldn't move for being hoisted into the air by your ankle." I nodded in agreement.

"My dad used it. I saw him in the Pensieve, he used it on Snape," Harry told the both of us casually. I shrugged.

"Everyone used it. It was a fun spell," I told him honestly.

"Like I said, it was very popular...you know how spells come and go..." Remus told him understandingly. When Harry pressed, Remus insisted that this spell went in and out of fashion just like everything else. Then he leaned in and said quietly, "James was a pureblood, Harry, and I promise you, he never asked us to call him 'Prince.'"

"And it wasn't Sirius? Or you?" he asked, searching both of our faces. I frowned slightly.

"To his dislike, Sirius was a pureblood too, remember?" I asked.

"And my little wolf-man definitely never told us to call him that, right hun'?" I said, nuzzling his neck. He chuckled and nodded.

"And for the record, Peter never thought well enough of himself to ask for such a thing and Lydia is a girl, so she wouldn't be a prince," Remus informed the boy kindly.

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "It's just that the Prince has helped me a lot in potions." Remus suggested that Harry look at the book to see what year the Prince had the book then Fleur broke into an imitation of Celestina Warbeck. _I wonder if she's tipsy or she's purposely trying to get under Molly's skin,_ I wondered. Molly insisted that everyone go to bed, saying that rest was needed.

I crawled into bed next to my husband; the triplets were asleep in a conjured bed on the other side of the room.

"Sad that Percy wouldn't come home for Christmas," I said, looking around said boy's room. Remus nodded. _But then, we wouldn't really have a safe place for Christmas. With our place compromised and the Weasley's home so safe, we can't ask for anything more._ I looked over at our pups and smiled. "My angels," I murmured. Remus wrapped his arms around my waist.

"And you're my angel," he whispered.

Christmas family time had a good effect on everyone. We needed this sense of normalcy in our lives. Looking around the breakfast table, I noticed that only Fleur was not wearing the trademark Weasley letter sweater. I didn't know if the French girl had snubbed her nose at the homemade sweater or if Molly didn't want to waste a sweater on her. Molly however, was wearing a midnight blue witch's hat and a beautiful golden necklace- presents from her Fred and George.

"We find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now that we're washing our own socks," said George as he waved an airy hand then offered my husband some parsnips. Ginny noticed that Harry had a maggot in his hair and reached over to remove it. _How cute. Harry is blushing._ Fleur thought that the bug was horrible and Ron promptly agreed then offered her some gravy. In his eagerness, he knocked the gravy boat over, though Bill fixed it with a flick of his wand. Fleur sniffed and said that Ron was as bad as Tonks, always knocking things over.

"I invited _dear_ Tonks to come along today, but she wouldn't come," Molly said with a glare. "Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?" she asked. A tired look came over my husband again.

"No, we haven't been in contact with anybody very much," he replied. "But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she?" Molly frowned.

"Perhaps. But I was under the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually." I smirked.

"No, she isn't, whether she wants to or not." Molly seemed surprised.

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"I heard down the grapevine that Sudi was planning to drop by. He fancies her, you know." She knew. Molly seemed happier; Tonks grew on most people quite easily.

"And how do you know all that?" Remus murmured to me. I think it somewhat irked him that I knew something he didn't, especially when we were together the entire time.

"I'm a woman, love. It's our business to know these things. Besides, you know listening is one of my strong suits." With a small chuckle, he turned back to his breakfast. I turned my attention to our children, making sure they ate something besides sugar.

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It was late at night in early June when we got word that Hogwarts was under attack. We apparated in without a second thought and made our way to the school. By the time we got there, the battle seemed to be in full swing. On our way in, we nearly ran into Tonks. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help thinking how bad I felt for her. She was usually bright and cheerful, but she was still grieving. Her mouse-brown hair was indication of that. And Sudi spending Christmas with her did little to improve her mood. Sudi had even confided in me that she had to break things off with him because she wanted a deeper relationship and he couldn't give that to her, now or ever. He would outlive her by a few centuries; it would be unfair to her. It wasn't only the war that had ruined her colorful aura, and it wasn't fair. Why did such dark things have to happen to such good people?

Next, we ran into Neville, who said that Death Eaters were in the school thanks to Draco Malfoy and the Room of Requirement. He shoved a small bottle in my hand and insisted we have a small swallow.

"Felix Felicis potion," he said it was as he ran off toward the astronomy tower.

"We'll need help," Remus said.

"Right," I agreed and we cast our patronuses at the same time. Our wolves ran to alert the other members of the Order. To my dismay, the kids were right there with us, insisting that they were going to fight as well.

"As your former teacher, I insist that you return to your dormitories," Remus said firmly.

"Ah, you said 'former'. We don't HAVE to listen," Ginny said with a grim smile.

"When your mother finds out..." I muttered, but didn't argue further. We had come upon the Death Eaters. They were being led by Draco, who was holding firmly to the Hand of Glory. Useful thing, really. Needless to say, a fight broke out. Spells were flying everywhere, though just barely missing us. Lights flared from all around and the pressure from so many spells being cast at one was easily felt. The cacophony was almost deafening, but somehow it was easy to maintain focus. As more Death Eaters joined the fray, anger bubbled up inside me and fed my animal side; it was almost a struggle to keep my mind on the sane side, even so far from the full moon. The inner batter distracted me from the one waging around. A limp body rolled down the stairs and knocked me off my feet; lucky for me, seeing as him toppling me caused a harsh spell to barely miss me.

"Felix Felicis. Good stuff," I muttered as I got back to my feet and shook my head of the remnants of wolfish thoughts. Many of the Death Eaters scattered, so we chased them. One broke away from the group and headed up the tower stairs. Then, spells were fired from behind us. The spells, I realized, came from Tonks and Bill.

"Someone needs to get more help! There's too many of them!" Minerva called as she fired a spell at the intruders.

"I'll get Severus," Flitwick said and ran, trusting the rest of us to cover his retreat.

"Get down, wolf!" someone shouted. Remus complied automatically, ducking a killing curse. Funny thing was, that curse hit another Death Eater. If I wasn't mistaken, he was the same one that left earlier. A dark streak made its way toward Bill and the next thing I knew, he was on the floor with Fenrir Greyback over him, blood spraying everywhere. The scent of the blood near drove me to the dark side, but I managed to shake it off. Bill needed tending. A werewolf had bitten him. _But Fenrir's in human form. That means it's just infected, right?_

"Cover me, Tonks!" I shouted and made for Bill, trying to help him as best I could- make him stable at least so I could get back to helping in the fight. The Death Eaters bore down hard, ready to fight to the death. "Never mind, Tonks. Go ahead," I told her as I put up a shield charm.

"Yes ma'am," she replied and did as told. I looked around- Malfoy was gone and more Death Eaters followed Malfoy up the Astronomy tower stairs. Neville was the first to go after them, but was repelled by a barrier. I tried to shatter it, but not to no avail. It felt wrong, too. This was magic infused with the power of the Dark Lord himself. The boy was fine, but he was going to be down for a while. Then Snape was there, tearing after the Death Eaters. He went straight through the barrier. Seeing him, Remus tried to go through as well, but was repelled just like Neville, though he wasn't thrown back as hard because he was prepared. Not long later, or it might have been a good while, one of the Death Eaters- a big guy that was throwing hexes every which way- threw a big hex and hit the ceiling, causing half of it to fall in. But it also broke the curse blocking the stairs. Those of us who were still standing ran past the Death Eaters. Snape and Malfoy ran past us, but no one paid them any mind. They were probably running from the Death Eaters, after all. Then the next thing I knew, Greyback and the others were there and we were fighting again. I had two Death Eaters on me and it was hard not to let my wolf instincts take over. Desire to shred and bite and devour pressed on me, but it was in too close of quarters to get only the intruders and not my friends. If I let the wolf have me, I'd be as bad as Greyback. Over the melee, I could have sworn I heard Snape shout something...it sounded like he said, "It's over," but I wasn't sure, especially because the way the fight was going; it was nowhere close to being over.

But it was. The Death Eaters were trying to retreat. They were heading out. Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn that I saw Harry run past. But it couldn't have been. Well, it could have. Shaking it off, we ran after the rest of the intruders.

About ten minutes later, we were in the hospital wing helping Madam Pomfery to clean up Bill's wound, numb. Hagrid had brought Harry upstairs and he informed everyone that Dumbledore was dead. Remus had actually lost his calm and shouted in disbelief, but it was to be expected. _Dumbledore...gone..._ The thought seemed so immaterial, so unreal. But it was. It was very real. The sound of Fawkes crying reached my ears multiple times, causing my heartbreak to hurt more. Harry went on to tell that Snape was the one that killed Dumbledore. Remus was especially cold when talking about Snape and Dumbledore trusting him. People took turns telling Harry what had happened since the time he left with Dumbledore although he wouldn't divulge any information as to what he and the headmaster were doing. Nobody pressed him though.

The hospital wing doors flew open, making everyone jump. Bill's parents strode in with Fleur right at their heels; they all looked terrified. Minerva tried to say that she was sorry, but Molly went right past her to see her son. Remus, Tonks, Madam Pomfery, and I got out of the way so Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could look at their son better.

"You said Greyback attacked him?" Arthur asked Minerva distractedly. He then asked what would happen to Bill because the man wasn't transformed when he attacked Bill. Remus replied for her that Bill's case was possibly unique. There was some contamination, but no one knew how he would act once he woke up. Arthur wanted to know if Dumbledore's death was really true, which was confirmed, but Molly only had eyes for her eldest son. She wept, throwing herself on him, saying that it didn't matter how he looked and that he was going to be married. Fleur became very indignant and demanded to know what Molly meant by 'going'. She insisted that Bill would still love her, werewolf or not, and that she loved him, no matter how he looked. She then snatched the ointment bottle from Molly and mopped up Bill's wounds by herself. After a long pause, Molly said that their great-aunt had a goblin made tiara that would look beautiful on Fleur during the wedding. Then they started crying and hugging. _How sweet. They're friends._

I couldn't help but notice that the elf found his way to Tonks. A morbid part of me wished I could have seen him fight. Shaking the thought, I looked closely at the lady. Her arms were crossed, closing her off to Sudi, but she leaned toward him, still drawn to him. They spoke quietly in the corner. I tilted my head, listening in. Anything to distract from the dark present. I know it was rude to eavesdrop, but I can't help overhearing with my heightened senses. And I can't help being overly curious. He said he missed her and wanted to be together. He knew she still cared about him and they could worry about the age thing later. He gently cupped her cheek, saying that no one knew how long anyone would live because of the war and they should make the time they had together count. She nodded and practically fell into his arms. A small smile found its way to my lips. _Dumbledore would approve. He always had a thing about love conquering all. Look what Lily did for Harry. _

Dumbledore's burial went as well as could be expected. No one interfered and many came to pay their last respects to Dumbledore, including many from the Ministry as well as Madam Maxine from the Beauxbaton school. About ten of the forest elves made an appearance. Even the mermaids showed up and the centaurs sent a tribute of arrows from inside the forest. A tomb of white marble seemed to be the least everyone could do for a man that had done so much for the wizarding world. I leaned against Remus, afraid to know what would happen without Dumbledore to guide us.


	12. Chapter 11

With Dumbledore gone, the Dark powers were flexing their muscles. There were so many incidents and flares, it was hard not to pass out from exhaustion. The 27th was fast approaching. That was the day when Harry would be moved to a safe house. The Trace would be off him, but so would Lily's enchantment.

July 27th

I got ready along with the other escorts at the Burrow. The protective charms would be raised as soon as everyone and the portkeys were in place.

"Alright, everyone here? Everyone ready?" Mad-Eye growled at the group in front of him. I looked around at the faces of the escort group. Though most of the adults were against it, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George were there. They seemed to be the most excited of the group. Bill and Arthur were there, as were Fleur, my husband, and Hagrid. The two that really surprised me were Kingsley and Munugus. Kingsley was supposed to be guarding the English prime minister and Mundugus...well, Mundugus was no swashbuckler. And he made that point known. Loudly. He opened his mouth to make that point again, but Mad-Eye cut him off.

"I don't care Fletcher. Suck it up. We need you with us. Now shut it." He turned to the rest of the group. "Disillusionment spells up. Everyone ready? All right. Let's take off.

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Everyone landed in Harry's backyard. A deafening roar sounded from Hagrid's motorbike right before he turned it off. I smiled sadly at the bike, remembering when it was Sirius'. All at once, the group dropped the disillusionment spell, right as Harry and his owl came out of the house. Gave him a right scare, judging from his expression. Everyone greeted Harry warmly. Hermione half tackled him and Ron gave him a few sound pats on the back. Harry mentioned he wasn't expecting this many of us. Mad-Eye told him it was a change of plans, but wanted to get inside before he talked him through it. Potter led everyone inside to the kitchen where we arranged ourselves comfortably around the room. Small talk went around until Moody shouted for quiet so he could explain the plan. He explained about the current Minister of Magic going over to Volemort's side, Harry still having the Trace on him, Lily's charm, and how the only way to get out without detection would be on brooms and such.

"The only thing we've got on our side is that You-Know-Who doesn't know we're moving you tonight. We've leaked a fake trail to the Ministry: They think you're not leaving until the 13th," Moody explained. Harry didn't fully understand, so Moody expanded. The six smaller ones would be taking Polyjuice potion and paired with a Guard and go 7 different ways to different would be safe-houses. From there, the pairs would go by portkey to the Weasley's. It made sense. It was secure. But Harry wouldn't have it. He couldn't stand the thought of putting his friends in danger. The others protested, saying that it wasn't anything new and they were willing for the Order. Still, Harry protested, but Mad-Eye coaxed (meaning ordered) him to hand over some hair.

Once all the fake Harrys were dressed and set with fake luggage and plush owls, Moody listed the pairs. He would take Mundugus (pretend Harry) by broom, Arthur would take Fred (pretend Harry) by broom, and Remus would take George (pretend Harry) by broom. Bill and Fleur (p.H.), me and Ron (p.H.), and Kingsley and Hermione (p.H.) would go by Thestral

"Everyone ready? We have to leave at once, otherwise the point of the diversion is missed entirely," Moody said. Ron climbed up on the thestral behind me and hesitantly put his arms around my waist. I caught him throwing Remus an apologetic look and I smiled.

"No worries, Ginger. Ready? (Moody counted and reached 3) Let's go!" The Thestral launched into the air. Flying almost felt nice once I was able to catch my breath, what with the cool wind blowing through my hair and rushing across my body. It was wonderful.

Then Death Eaters ruined our fun. There was a swarm of them. Moody had predicted only a few doing patrol, but not this many. One charged us specifically, cackling over the wind.

"Hang on, Harry!" I shouted and spurred the Thestral into a dive to miss a spell. Ron fired off a spell and hit another Death Eater straight in the head. "Well done!" I praised him and fired off my own spell at the first Death Eater as well as the others around her. The two of us exchanged spells in the midst of battle until I managed to hit her with a particularly nasty curse. She was forced to land. I sensed someone right behind me, so I pulled on the reigns to veer left; Rodolphus flew past us and Ron hit him with his own spell. The man screamed all the way down.

"Isn't that You-Know-Who?!" Ron shouted. I saw him for only the briefest of moments before he vanished.

"Oh no," I breathed. For a split second, I considered going after him, my instincts screaming at me to hunt down the distracted predator, but I shook it off. That would be suicide and I especially shouldn't take such a risk with Molly's youngest son behind me. Frowning slightly, I looked around. I could no longer see Hagrid, giving me the go-ahead to leave. "We'd better get you somewhere safe," I called over the rushing wind. With that said, we flew off to Aunt Muriel's house, blasting any Death Eater that got in our way.

Once we got to Ron's Auntie Muriel's, she wouldn't stop fussing. She checked Ron and me over ten times each and insisted on doing it again. Then she wanted to know if either of us were hungry.

"Really, Muriel, we're fine," I insisted.

"Oh, you already missed your portkey, you might as well have some coffee cake," she said airly.

"No, really, we're good. Just let me set a portkey and we'll be out of your hair." Five minutes and a slice of coffee cake later, Ron and I were allowed to be off with the new Portkey.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

We landed with a skid in front of the Burrow. Harry and Hermione were there to greet Ron and Remus and Kingsley were there to meet me. It had been decided that everyone be asked a personal question to guarantee their identity.

"What did I originally say that my secret was?" Remus demanded. I gave him a small, tired smile.

"You're a girl," I told him. "You can be a little frightening when you're like this, Remus," I admitted. His face softened and he hugged me tightly.

"What happened? What kept you?" he asked. I told him about the attacks on us and Ron's amazing shot, then about Aunt Muriel. Remus shook his head.

"So where are the others?" Ron asked as he fidgeted in his too short robes; the potion had worn off.

"Everyone is here except for Bill, Fleur, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus," Kingsley said then told the small group he had to take his leave. He had to walk outside the Burrow's boundaries to disapparate, though. Molly and Arthur run up and hugged the three of us for bringing their sons back alive. I assured them it was nothing, but Remus inquired about George.

"What's wrong with him?" Ron piped up. Molly was about to answer when Bill and Fleur showed up astride their Thestral. I turned to my husband.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

"His ear was obliterated by a dark magic spell. Maybe you can have a look at it?" he replied, just as quietly. I shrugged and made my way into the house. While I didn't have any formal medical training, I had wanted to become a healer and had picked up a little here and there.

"Oh, George," I said sadly after examining his head, "I'm really sorry, dear. I won't be able to fix this."

"Why not?" he asked, sadness evident on his face, though I could tell he was trying to sound aloof.

"Because the wound was created with intense Dark magic, I have no idea how to mend it. This isn't a bite or cut. I'm very sorry, George. I can make an illusionary charm so it looks like you have two ears if you'd like," I offered. He sighed and shook his head.

"Nah, that's fine. At least this way I have a real excuse to use some ear puns." I kissed the top of his head.

"As you wish," I told him. "But if you change your mind, let me know and I'll do what I can."

"Thanks," he replied and lay back down on the couch. I stood and went back to Remus.

"Hey," I said.

"Hm," he replied.

"What?" I asked, not liking his tone.

"Moody is dead."

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed, unbelieving. Moody couldn't be dead. The man was invincible! He lived through so much! He just couldn't be gone!

…but he was. Everyone's grim faces confirmed this. After a toast to Mad-Eye in the kitchen, Remus voiced the question that was on everyone's minds.

"So Mundungus disappeared?" But he could have ruined the plan from the start. Bill was quick to get rid of the idea. He said that Mundungus was the one that suggested there be 7 Harrys and the Death Eaters were confused when they saw everyone. He said that he thought Fletcher panicked, seeing as he didn't want to go in the first place. Not to mention Voldemort went right for him. _I'd probably panic if Voldemort came straight at me. _After a bit more discussion on what to do next, Bill and Remus went to retrieve Mad-Eye's body. I wanted to go, but I opted to stay to comfort Tonks, who had been close to the Auror. Harry spoke up, saying he wanted to go somewhere else. He didn't want to put everyone in further danger. Of course, he wasn't allowed. No one would hear of it.

A few hours later, the guys showed back up, saying that they couldn't find Moody's body anywhere. It felt…wrong not to be able to put him to rest. More so than usual. _Who would want his body? And why?_ The possible reasons made me shudder.

"Let's go home," Remus murmured. I nodded and gave Tonks one last hug.

"We'll try to see you on your birthday. You'd better be here," I warned Harry with a good-natured grin. The boy nodded, but didn't make eye contact. I followed Remus out of the protective spell's range and apparated back home.

I had missed home. After having verified that no Death Eater had even tried to even come into the small town, we put up as many protection and deflection wards as possible. Where else could we go? We couldn't burden the Weasleys any more than we had, no matter what they said. At least we'd have the home advantage if it came to it again. I prayed it wouldn't.

When the two of us got into the living room, Remus banged his fist on the wall. I stared, confused. The alpha growled, ignoring my stare.

"Darling?" I ventured.

"I hate this. I hate feeling so…"

"Caged?" I offered, understanding the feeling. We were going to be stuck in the house for a while if we didn't want to endanger ourselves, our pups, and our town. Just the thought of it made me feel claustrophobic. Remus' eyes narrowed and he turned slowly to face me. His amber eyes were sharp, but his face had taken on a taunt, almost impassive look.

"What?" he breathed.

"Caged," I repeated. "You hate feeling so caged." Anger flashed across his face. The dimly lit living room became infinitely smaller and colder.

"Why are you like this?!" He near shouted, exasperated. I cringed, not just from the lash of his voice, but because I was worried that the pups might hear. They were locked safely in the basement, asleep on their cots, while we finished our move. It was for their own protection rather than anyone else's, seeing as the full moon wasn't near. However, the muffling spells on the door seemed to have kept their father's voice from waking them. "Well?" Remus demanded. I shook my head, confused and a little scared.

"I don't understand," I said, hurt evident in my tone. He growled in frustration and instinctively, I tilted my head a little to expose my neck in submission.

"That! That right there!" he exclaimed, pointing at my neck. "Why do you let the wolf integrate so wholly into you? It seems like every gesture, every remark, every thought is tempered by the wolf," he snarled. I gasped.

"_Excuse me?_ Where do you get off? If you'll so kindly remember, YOU FLIPPING TURNED ME INTO THIS! _You_ turned me into a werewolf and you have the gall to get upset when I start ACTING LIKE A WOLF?" He looked like he had been slapped. Guilt overtook his expression, but the anger was still obvious. He shook his head and walked out of the living room into the kitchen. A few seconds later, I heard the kitchen door slam. I stood where I was, breathing heavily. Then I realized what I had just said. _Oh, Merlin, what have I done?_ I know how he feels about what he had done. Even after all these years, I knew he still hadn't forgiven himself for it. It was a low shot, and I took it. _But it was the truth._ Numbly, I went to the other side of the room and sank into my father's old chair. It was broken into, but I couldn't get rid of it because it always offered comfort. If I inhaled deeply, I could just barely pick up the scent of his pipe from so long ago. It was diluted, but still there. _He's right. These aren't my kids. They're my pups. I see everyone with a pack mentality. I react to most things the way a wolf would and I know acting this way bothers him on some level…but I ignored it. Is it my fault for letting the wolf take such a deep root inside me? Is it even a bad thing? Why does he treat it like such a bad thing? My transformations are smoother than his, even though he's done it longer. I think it's because I've accepted the wolf instead of fighting every shred of it. I'm not like Fenrir, so what's the problem?_

I don't know how long I sat there, but when the clock chimed two in the morning, I looked over at the kitchen. The creaking side door had yet to announce his return. _He's probably in the diner. Maybe I should get him…_ However, I didn't leave the old wingback chair. I didn't leave it for the rest of the night.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The sun had risen by the time he came back, and I whispered an apology. While what I said was the truth, it was still uncalled for. Probably. He ignored me.

Remus was cool toward me for the next few days but I finally gathered the courage to ask if he hated me for what I had said. He regarded the question seriously for a moment, making it all the worse.

"I still love you. I always will. But that doesn't mean I have to like you right now." I nodded and went about my business, giving him time to warm up to me again. While I had every right to be angry, I just couldn't be. Not when I didn't understand how I felt about myself. We ended up skipping Harry's birthday, but when it came time for Bill and Fleur's wedding, we decided to go together and pretend nothing was wrong. The pups…kids…pups were happy to go. While we didn't argue in front of them, they knew something was off and had become rather edgy because of it. Assuring them nothing was wrong and that they hadn't done anything didn't help, however.

Attending the wedding as a family worked fairly well, I supposed, seeing as no one said anything of our awkward behavior to us. But then, who would want to talk about such unpleasant affairs during a wedding? Speaking of the wedding, it was quite lovely. The ceremony wasn't boring, instead very sweet, and the after-party was enjoyable (despite the fact that Remus and I weren't on happy terms). After a while of talking to random guests, I faced my mate.

"Dance with me?" I asked quietly. He blinked a few times and glanced at the rest of the table. For appearances, he stood.

"Very well." I took his hand as he led me to the dance floor. The two of us moved in a moderate waltz.

"Won't you forgive me already? I've apologized countless times. What else do you want me to do?" I asked, tired of it all.

"You didn't have to throw that in my face," he replied cooly. "Besides, you aren't really sorry."

I winced.

"I can't help being the way I am. And how many years has this been festering? Why does it bother you so much now?" He looked away. "Please, Remus. Can't we just forget all this? I want things to be as they were." He nodded.

"I do too, but they can't be. At least not right now." I opened my mouth to respond, but a messenger Patronus came streaking through the canopy to the dance floor. A lynx with Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice brought terrible news-

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

"Shit," I cursed and drew my wand. Remus did the same. People were running around in a panic, disapparating, proving that the protective charms had been broken.

"Protego!" my husband and I shouted at the same time, putting shields up. Members of the Order were doing the same thing all around. With a wave to us, George grabbed our little ones and disapparated to safety. Without them to worry about, we were able to concentrate on what was coming. Thanks to Kingsley's warning, almost all of the guests were able to get away before the bad guys showed up. They were a mix of ministry people and Death Eaters, but all in all, they were now of the same side. Spells were fired in a blaze of color and destruction and a battle ensued, though it was over quickly, despite the valiant efforts of the Order. Our adversaries were just too strong. And there were only about a dozen of them to boot and they wanted to know where Harry was. The group wanted information and they weren't shy about getting it. Questioning took hours and, from what I could tell, the Ministry/DE were tougher on me and Remus. I was afraid and I was angry. All I wanted was to lash out and rip out their throats. It was about then that I realized it. _This is why Remus doesn't like the wolf in me. The wolf is violent and predatory. People shouldn't respond like that. But just because I want to doesn't mean I'm acting on it. I'm in control._ Just because I understood it doesn't mean I agreed with him.

The intruders searched the Burrow from top to bottom, only finding a ghoul disguised to look like Ron- surprisingly, it worked. The Order was under the impression that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been given a mission before Dumbledore died, so Arthur helped his son create a doppelganger. After the trespassers were satisfied, they left.

"Well, that was a lovely wedding. Thank you for having us. You two have a nice honeymoon," I told Bill and Fleur. The couple and Remus looked at me as if I was crazy. "What?" I asked, "I can't be polite? And until the end, it was very nice. My best wishes to you both."

"As are mine," Remus put in. They thanked us both before the two of us disapparated and went home to a frightened trio of children and an anxious Weasley. After being assured of everyone's safety and thanked profusely, George went home to his family. We put the little ones to bed, again acting like nothing was wrong. Afterword, he went back to being cold. Apparently once that dam had been broken, it took a while for the flow of feelings to subside.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

My back popped as I sat up from the scrying pool on the kitchen table.

"They're still watching us," I growled after the second day at home with the Death Eaters searching.

"I know," Remus said, voice clipped. Stir crazy didn't mix well with being upset. I looked at him, my chocolate eyes sad.

"You know, after being together so long, you'd think I'd see this coming. But I didn't. I don't understand, Remus. I don't get you." He inhaled deeply through his nose and let it out slowly. The lines on his face seemed to deepen a little.

"And I don't get you. Don't you hate it? Or do you _enjoy_ what it does to you?" I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. The thing was, I did enjoy the power sometimes. _But what's wrong with looking for a silver lining?_

"That's what I thought," he said quietly and walked out the front door. There was a finality about the sound the door made and it left me even more confused. _What…what's happened to us? I've changed since I was bitten, I acknowledge that. I know he loved me before…does that mean he doesn't love me anymore, now that I've really come into being a werewolf? No, he said that he'll always love me…but what if he doesn't mean it? Or changes his mind? I know I'm accepting, but why did I accept such a dangerous creature as part of me so easily? I…I shouldn't have done that, should I?_

Remus' POV

The sandy haired man needed some air. He loved his wife, but she scared him more and more as time went on. If she let the wolf get a hold of her soul any more, she'd end up like Fenrir. Didn't she understand that? Was she OK with that happening? _Why has she blended so much with it, anyway? She shouldn't be at that point unless she wants to be. What's wrong with being human? Whatever. I need to do something constructive. Maybe Harry needs help. I'll find him._ But first he had to shake off the Death Eater that managed to pick up his trail. The entire time he focused on finding Harry, he ignored the obvious fact that he was running from the issue and conversation that needed to take place at home.

The next day, as it took a day to shake off the Death Eater, Remus apparated onto the front step of the Black manor and knocked softly as other Death Eaters were watching the street that the manor was on. No answer. He opened the door slowly and edged into the hall and closed the door.

As the werewolf took a step forward, Moody's voice asked, "Severus Snape?" as a dust figure rose from the end of the hall and rushed at him. The jinx Alastor had set when the Order was forced to evacuate was still there and still working, not that Remus expected anything less.

"It was not I who killed you, Albus," he replied to the question. The jinx broke and the dust scattered.

"Don't move!" a familiar voice ordered. Harry was standing on the stairs, wand pointed at his former teacher.

Ignoring the screams of Sirius' mother's portrait, Remus raised his arms in a peaceful way and said, "Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!" Ron and Hermione, who stood just behind Harry, looked immediately relieved. Hermione used her wand to close the curtains of Mrs. Black's portrait before she and Ron lowered their wands. Harry didn't. He insisted that Remus showed himself. The man in question moved forward into the lamplight, keeping his hands up.

"I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Lydia, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag," he said easily, proving he was who he claimed. Potter accepted this and lowered his wand, saying he had to check. The ex-professor approved and told him as much, though gently reprimanding the other two for trusting so quickly. They rushed toward him and he felt very relieved to find them well and whole. "No sign of Severus then?" he inquired. The young adults said no and everyone exchanged information about the Death Eaters outside. Then, at Remus' request, everyone moved to the kitchen so he could inform them of what happened after they left the wedding. When asked, the trio said they didn't come straight to the manor after the wedding- they went to Tottenham Court Road and were attacked by Death Eaters. Needless to say, Remus was VERY surprised. To be attacked in a muggle neighborhood was crazy. There was no way they could have found Harry so soon! But even after trying to analyze that, no one could come up with a working reason as to how they did it. That topic died out, so the man went on to explain about what happened after they left the wedding. Once they were brought up to date, Remus had the displeasure of letting them know the official reason the Ministry was after Harry; he was being suspected of killing Dumbledore. There was also now a muggle-born register. He let them fume about that for a few minutes before asking Harry the question that really led him to the shaggy haired boy.

"I'll understand if you can't confirm this, Harry, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission." Harry confirmed it and said the other two were in on it and going with him. "Can you confide in me what the mission is?" He gently refused. Disappointed, Remus told him he figured as such. "But I might still be of some use to you. You know what I am and what I can do. I could come with you to provide protection," he went on, though the words tasted bitter in his mouth. While he would do anything to protect the trio in front of him, using the beast inside him wasn't a pleasant thought, much less volunteering it. At least there were other useful aspects about him, like his knowledge on the Dark Arts. "There would be no need to tell me exactly what you were up to," he hurried on. Harry seemed to consider this, but Hermione spoke up.

"What about your wife?" she asked.

"What about her?" Remus asked, apathetic.

"Well, you're married! How does she feel about you going away with us?" The man stiffened slightly.

"We've worked on separate assignments multiple times. Besides, she is at home with the kids. She should be safe," he replied a little coldly. Hermione tentatively asked if everything was all right between him and his wife. Remus told her it was fine. He tried to smile it off then asked if they accepted the offer. Harry wanted him to confirm that he wanted to leave his wife and children virtually unprotected at home and go adventuring with the three of them. Indifferently, Remus repeated that she would be just fine and that he was sure James would have wanted him to stick with Harry.

"Well, I'm not. I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with _your own_ kids, actually," Harry said slowly. Remus' face drained of color.

"You don't get it. I made a mistake staying with Lydia. I did it against my better judgment," he tried to explain, thinking back to before he had turned her.

"So you're just going to dump her and her kids and run off with us?" Harry asked coldly. Remus jumped to his feet, toppling the chair behind him backward. Glaring, he could feel the wolf inside his blood boil.

"You don't understand what I've done to my wife and children! I've made her- all of them- outcasts! I've ruined all of them!" he shouted and kicked his chair. He yelled that they have only seen him in the Order or at school, not in the real world. He was a creature of darkness and the rest of the wizarding world regarded him with contempt. "When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me! And the children… My kind don't usually breed. They are all cursed like me! I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to innocent children. I might as well have lost Lydia as it is and all three of those kids will be a hundred times better off without a father of whom they can be ashamed!" Hermione was on the verge of tears.

"Remus, don't say that. How could any child be ashamed of you? And you know they aren't! They love you and respect you and look up to you."

"Oh, I don't know, Hermione. I'd be pretty ashamed of him," Harry spat. It felt as though the boy had physically hit the older man. "If the new regime thinks Muggle-borns are bad, what will they do to some werewolves whose father is in the Order? My father died trying to protect my mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kids to go on an adventure with us?" Harry said, every word striking blows.

"How-how dare you?! This is not about a desire for- for danger or personal glory- how dare you suggest such a-" he stammered.

"I think you're feeling a bit of a daredevil," Harry went on, "You fancy stepping into Sirius' shoes. I'd never have believed this. The man who taught me to fight dementors- a coward." That was the final straw. Remus snapped. He drew his wand and fired off a spell without thinking. Harry went flying across the room but the professor didn't know if Harry was still conscious. Remus was already gone, mentally beating himself up worse than the wolf ever could. _They're right. I'm afraid._


	13. Chapter 12

Lydia's POV

I sat in Daddy's chair again, flipping through a book, not reading it at all. The children played a board game quietly on the floor, feeling down because their father was away again. All of a sudden, they all faced the back door and smiled. A moment later, Remus walked in. They all ran to their father and hugged him, near smothering him with their little bodies. He hugged them tightly for a moment.

"Kids, go in the other room for a little bit, ok? I need to talk to your father for a little bit," I instructed.

"Kay," they replied together and ran off, obviously happier than they had been for a couple days. Standing, I faced my husband, waiting for what he was going to say or do. He seemed a little surprised.

" 'Kids'?" he asked, though all venom was absent from his voice. I nodded.

"I'm sorry. I thought about what you said. I'll try to get better about separating the wolf from me on the condition that you hear me out." He nodded, not wanting to interrupt. I took his hands in mine, hoping he wouldn't pull away. Instead, he held my hands tight and I drew comfort from the touch. "I've always been an accepting person. Once I got over the shock of being a werewolf, I accepted it as part of me. You turned me and I love you, so I didn't reject it as wholly as you did when you were turned. Then I had the triplets. They are natural born werewolves and, as a mother, I think I latched onto that, identifying with them. They are so at peace with themselves and I wanted that, so I went with it. At first, you didn't seem to care, even referring to the little ones as pups, then you started to draw away from me and by that point, I did enjoy the surety of the wolf inside.

"However, I don't like how it has divided us. I don't like the pain and I don't like how bloodthirsty I've become. I miss being myself and hate that I can't even tell who I am anymore. I don't like the danger I pose to others and having to rely on a potion to keep us safe. I just…I wanted you to understand where I'm coming from, now that I have the chance," I finished. It felt good to be able to tell him all that. I needed to. And he needed to hear it. He intertwined his fingers with mine before taking his turn.

"And I really am sorry for that," he apologized. "I shouldn't have acted the way I did and I should have let you explain yourself." I stood there quietly for a moment as he fumbled over his thoughts.

"Why did you? Act that way, I mean," I finally asked, hoping to help focus his thoughts.

"Because I was afraid," he replied somberly, though keeping eye contact the entire time. "I was afraid and ashamed of what I had done to my children and what will come of them. I cursed them all, just as I cursed you, and I believed everyone would be better off without me. I especially hated myself for what I did to you. And to be honest, I still do. There is no way I can really forgive myself for what I have done. When you started to blur between yourself and the wolf, it scared me. I was afraid I'd lose you to her and you'd become like Greyback and his pack. I do love you and always will, no matter what, but I'd rather be with the woman I fell in love with, not a wolf. It was wrong of me to push you away instead of just talking it out. I thought that if I ignored it, maybe you'd bounce back. I'm sorry, love." He gently pulled me toward him for a hug, but only if I wanted one. I snuggled against his warm chest as his strong arms wrapped around me.

"We've both been so stupid," I murmured into his hold.

"I know. I was talked around and again I apologize." Nodding, I smiled.

"You're forgiven, silly man. And have you forgiven me yet?" He nodded, a dry chuckle escaping his throat.

"Of course."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

We spent the next few months keeping tabs on the war, working with our new werewolf friends. Guerilla warfare suited us best, seeing as how it resembles how actual wolves hunt. We would run in from the sides, tearing into small factions and running off. We ran ourselves ragged, trying as hard as possible to keep people safe and put a sizable dent in the Dark Lord's forces. Of course, all that on top of caring for three little ones. It was only because we left said little ones at the Weasley's for Christmas that we knew that Ron went home, leaving Harry and Hermione on their own. Lynn mentioned that Ron obviously felt bad and she even caught him crying over it a couple times. Once he went back, I felt better. The three together felt right. Like we had hope again.

However, it was all too soon that we needed as much hope as we could get.

It was late at night in early May when a silver lynx ran through the cave.

"Kingsley's patronus? I don't understand," I muttered but got up, closing my book in the process.

"The final battle has begun. Send for your next in the Order then go to Hogwarts." And it disappeared. I nodded to the empty space once and summoned my own patronus. Repeating what Kingsley said to mine, the silver wolf ran off to find Molly. Taking a deep breath, I picked up the phone and called Anna, asking if she would mind babysitting. Of course, I offered double the usual amount for such late notice. Eagerly agreeing, she promised to be over in fifteen minutes and not to worry about the double thing. Wonderful girl, that one.

"Remus! It- it's time!" I called across the house, voice cracking. This was it. The sheer weight of everything that had been accumulating over the past few years was finally about to be lifted, one way or another. My husband came in, obviously feeling the same I did. We went into the kids' bedrooms to kiss them goodbye.

"What's going on, Mum?" Mikey asked. All three looked at us with eyes that held far more intelligence than children should. _This war has aged them, too._ I sighed.

"We're going to be honest with you," I started slowly. "We're going to fight the bad guys. It's going to be dangerous. We…" I trailed off. Remus picked it up.

"We're going to fight as hard as can. Be good for Anna. She'll be here soon. Just know we love you three very, very much." They nodded, seeming to understand the unspoken words- we might not come back at all. After kissing them goodbye, my husband and I went outside to apparate into Hogsmede. Letting sheer instinct guide us, we went into the Hog's Head. Aberforth Dumbledore reluctantly showed us a passageway into the school. Upon exiting said passage, we asked the two ladies in front of us where we would be the most help.

"I don't know," Ginny Weasley said. "I'm stuck in here."

"And I've only been here a few moments," an older lady said. She was strangely dressed for battle, sporting a huge handbag and a stuffed bird on her hat. However, she smelled very powerful. Not a minute later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran into the room.

"Is everyone ok?" Ginny asked at once.

"'S far as we know. Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?" Harry asked. "Aberforth said something about sealing it," Remus replied.

"Have you seen my grandson?" the older lady asked. Harry answered that the boy was fighting.

"Naturally," she said proudly then excused herself to go assist him.

"Where do you want us?" I asked Harry. He didn't seem stunned in the slightest that we deferred to him. There was a weight to his shoulders and an aged look to his eyes. It made me sad.

"If you don't mind leading another group of fighters into the grounds," Harry started. We nodded and ran from the room.

The battle outside was terrible, but then, what battle isn't? Our small group took the West side of the castle, dodging spells and firing curses at Death Eaters as made our way to our station. It was heavy fighting and I couldn't help but wish it was the full moon. Fighting as a werewolf would be a major asset. Providing I could keep my head. However, that would mean Fenrir and his pack would be wolves as well. That was something I didn't want to deal with.

"You know, I almost want to tell you to go home and be safe with the little ones," Remus called to me over a few curses.

Snorting, I replied, "I'm going to fight alongside my husband in a cause we believe in."

"Alright then," he replied with a grim smile. "I won't tell you to leave."

"I wouldn't have anyway," I smirked.

Spells and Curses flew all around us, some hitting and inflicting excruciating pain, but we muscled through it. Random DE fought us, a new one moving in when we killed another off. I couldn't tell how much time had passed but all of a sudden, time slowed. Helplessly, I watched as a curse hit Remus. His eyes glazed over and he went down with harsh thump. An ear splitting scream tore across the grounds. It took me a second to realize it was me. Throwing a few hate filled curses of my own, I made my way to my husband. He was still breathing, but his color was fading and his breathing was becoming shallower.

"Get him inside," a comrade yelled, covering me. Without acknowledging, I did as he told.

I sat next to Remus in the Great Hall, casting every spell I knew to resuscitate him.

They weren't working. _No. I'm not letting you go._ _Never._ Barely registering Harry walking by, I kept trying. Again and again. Even as he stopped breathing, I kept trying.

Remus' POV

It felt so strange, like he was neither here nor there. Like he had never been more himself but at the same time, he wasn't anybody. Then, he felt like he was being pulled toward something, something warm and happy.

Harry stood in front of him. Sirius, James, and Lily stood next to him. He was dead. But he couldn't be. He had a wife and children…but at the same time, he felt so…_at peace_. Harry, poor Harry, looked so broken. Lily told her son he was brave and James declared how very, very proud they were. Remus couldn't agree more. Even as sure as young Potter seemed, he was still a teenager with the world on his shoulders.

"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly. Remus smiled at his former student as Sirius assured him it was a painless as going to sleep. Remus also wanted to reassure the boy.

"And he will want it to be quick. He wants it over." He tried to focus on Harry, but something was pulling at his very essence. His image flickered for a moment, then stopped. Harry apologized, more so to him than the others, especially because of the kids.

"I am sorry too. Sorry I will never get to watch them grow up…but they will know why I died and I hope they will understand. I was trying to make a world in which they could live a happier life." A breeze ruffled Harry's hair and uncertainty flickered in his eyes for just a second before resolve shown out. Remus felt the tug again and it was hard keeping his essence together. Maybe he wasn't supposed to be here. But then why weren't the others flickering? Harry asked if they would stay until the end. Of course, they would. On Harry's short journey into the forest, Remus nearly faded out multiple times. They followed him to Voldemort's camp and it was all he could do to keep himself together for Harry's sake. Once Harry confronted the Dark Lord, the Resurrection Stone slipped from Potter's fingers. They vanished, no longer part of their world.

Lily's voice broke through to Remus' dissipating form.

"You can go back, you know. Lydia hasn't let your link to the living world break."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Your soul is still tethered to your body, but the bond is almost completely gone. You have to choose."

"Choose?"

"Here we have peace," she said. He had felt that. Even her voice emanated it. Like he should just let himself drift away. "Or you can go back. But you must be firm in your decision. And you must hurry. It won't be an option for much longer." Her voice was gone. He was alone. Alone to choose.

What choice was there?

Lydia's POV

Molly put her hand on my shoulder. She was trying to tell me to stop. Remus was dead. But I couldn't accept that.

"Darling," she murmured, voice cracking. She had just lost one of her sons, but I couldn't bring myself to care. I was too focused. Smacking her wand on Remus' chest to send another electrical jolt through him, I begged him to come back to me. I'd been begging for fifteen minutes. I don't even know when he slipped away from me.

But then he jolted. Not just his body. But him. He coughed. His eyes opened slowly and he tried to sit up, but he was obviously sore. I didn't care. He was alive. Sobbing uncontrollably, I smothered him with my body.

We didn't have much time to celebrate, though. 10 minutes later, a terrible voice echoed throughout the Hall.

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone." Shocked beyond belief, everyone scrambled to run outside, me and Remus included. The terrible voice of Voldemort continued, "The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together." Everyone was outside by now, staring at the line of Death Eaters. Hagrid was offside of the center, sobbing. He was holding something. Minerva registered it before I did.

"NO!" she screamed.

"Harry," I whispered, unbelieving, and dropped to my knees. A strangled sound came from Remus' throat. Bellatrix laughed, taking joy in the despair of her enemies. Everyone was shouting their disbelief and sorrow.

"SILENCE!" the dark lord cried and emphasized himself by shooting up a bright flash of light. He demanded that Hagrid place Harry's body at his feet. "Do you understand now? He was nothing but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!" Ron started it. He shouted how Voldemort was wrong, causing others to do the same. Neville stepped forward in clear defiance, inspiring courage amongst the crowd. However, the courage dropped a notch when Voldemort laughed, put a full body bind on him, summoned the Sorting Hat, put it on Neville's head, and set it and the boy on fire. I raised my wand and tried to dispel the fire but nothing happened. His magic was so much more powerful. So many things happened at once: on the distant boundary, hundreds of people were coming as reinforcements, a small Giant came from around the castle, arrows were showering the Death Eaters, Neville broke the body-bind curse, he was no longer on fire, the hat fell from his head, he drew a sword from inside the hat, and he sliced off the head of Voldemort's snake. The dark lord let out a horrid scream, furious, and looking somewhat hurt. I pushed that idea aside and drew your wand to continue fighting. Though dueling, most, including me, went back to the Great Hall. I was dueling two Death Eaters at once, using the raw power Hogwarts granted it's defenders. I blasted one into death and turned to finish the other one off when I felt the urge to turn toward the middle of the room. The urge was placed on everyone and with good reason- Harry was alive and getting ready to fight Voldemort to the death. This was their last stand. No more than one would live through this. They circled one another, talking, trying to get the other one to strike first. Harry was pleading, not for Voldemort to let him live, but to repent. All the while, Voldemort insisted that Harry continued to live through mere accidents. Everything was by chance. Harry told him about his prize spy, Snape. How he really wasn't his but Dumbledore's. He had been ever since Voldemort was ready to kill Lily Potter. Voldemort didn't care. It all came down to three simple words: "Avada Kedavra!" and "Expelliarmus!" The bang sounded like a cannon and golden flames erupted between the two. Harry's spell won and Voldemort's wand flew high in the air as its old master flew back onto the floor. He was dead, killed by his own rebounding spell.

Voldemort was gone at last.

Everyone cheered, myself included. Someone hugged me from behind, joyful. Turning, I smiled at my husband, whose arms held me tight. The both of us were alive and the dark lord was gone. We had won.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

It was a few days later and I was still in a daze, unable to believe that it was finally over.

"This means we can go back to the way things were, right?" Mikey asked from the pillow fort he had made with his brother. I smiled.

"That's right. And it will be even better than before." He smiled. Remus stretched and put his book down.

"That's not exactly true. Things will be very different, but it will be for the better. We just have to remember everything. Remember what it means to have power and to be responsible." I watched him quietly. He seemed to be talking more to himself.

"Remember what it is to have family and love ones. To do everything for them." He shook his head and apologized. Lynn looked up at her father curiously, putting her Barbie doll down.

"What do you want us to remember?" she asked. He frowned slightly, thinking.

"Why don't you three come sit down. I'll tell you everything from the beginning."

Lynn sat up straighter and asked with shining eyes, "Like how you and Mum met?" I laughed and a blush managed to mantle my cheeks for some reason.

"Sure, why not," I told her. Our boys complained loudly from their fort. It was my husband's turn to laugh.

"Don't worry. It won't all be mushy. And…we need to talk about the war, but when you're older. Maybe in a few years. For now, remember that you have magic and should be careful how you use it. You can use it for good or bad, and you should think about what you do with it. Will it be for the good or the bad?" The triplets stared at him, heads tilted cutely. Remus shook his head. "Never mind. Now where to start…as you know, when I was nine, Fenrir Greyback turned me…"

/

/

/

Thank you all for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed the ride. Let me know what you think about it.

Stay tuned for an epilogue!


	14. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

"A third floor marsh. Geniuses, the both of them," Alex said, awed. The sixteen-year-old's amber eyes shone with admiration as he pushed back some strands of chocolate brown hair from his face. Mikey rolled his eyes at his twin brother, pushing a strand of the same brown hair behind his ear. Though both wore their hair unkempt, Mikey's was still a little neater.

"For the hundredth time, it was a swamp and it's 'genii' not 'geniuses.'" Alex shrugged and tore his eyes away from the small shrine of the Weasley twins' greatest feat.

"Whatever. The fact is, they're amazing! Legend has it that they were able to chase out a teacher with this one then rode off into the night on magic carpets, never to be seen again!" Michael stared at his brother. The firelight from the torches flickered across his features, turning an annoyed look into an ominous one.

"Are you sure we're related? I wonder how you can be so stupid sometimes. They left on their own broomsticks and we saw George just last holiday. Seesh."

"I'm not stupid. I was just saying what the legend said. I know he runs the joke shop on Diagon Alley. We buy half of our equipment from him!" Mikey quickly silenced Alexander.

"Bloody hell, do want to get us caught?! We're supposed to be in bed, not gallivanting around the school. If someone sees us- " Alex rolled his eyes.

"You worry too much. Besides, those Slytherins are going to love this present we made for them." Michael pulled his brother away from the shrine by his collar.

"The day you stop oogling that bloody shrine..." Alex complied and allowed his brother to drag him away down one hallway and another.

"For being the quiet one, you sure have a dirty mouth," he muttered.

"Like I bloody care," Mikey snapped. "But seriously, when will you stop trying to be just like the Weasleys? We need to forge our own legend, not try to copy someone else's. Think for yourself." Alex smiled.

"Now why would I want to do that when you can do all the thinking for the both of us?" Mikey chose not to dignify that with an answer, instead, working quietly back down the hallway to the stairwell.

"Ok, this is the third floor landing-"

"Duh."

"-We have to make sure Dad doesn't-"

"Dad doesn't what, Michael?" came a stern voice. The boys winced visibly and looked down the hallway to see their DADA professor leaning in the doorframe of his classroom only 20 feet away.

"Heh heh. Hiya Dad," Alex said with a slight wave. Remus Lupin treated his sons to a look that was equally flat and annoyed.

"Actually, we were looking for you, Dad," Mikey started evenly.

"Uh-huh. I'm sure. Now, hand it over," he replied just as evenly.

"Hand what over?" Alex asked, the picture of innocence.

"Whatever you're going to use for whatever you're planning to do. Pockets- empty them." The boys glumly complied, emptying out a few dung bombs and dye pellets.

"There you have it, Professor," the boys chorused. Remus grunted and took the things from his sons.

"Be happy I'm not telling your mother all you've been up to," he told them. Mikey looked at his dad with a sly smirk.

"Yeah, and we can say the exact same. You haven't exactly been dissuading Anastasia Dulat." Remus looked down the six inches to see them eye to eye.

"You know very well I'm ignoring every advance. I don't want to hurt her psyche, which is vulnerable at her age. I don't encourage her."

"But you're not discouraging her either," Alex told his dad.

"That's what dissuade means," Mikey murmured to him, suppressing a sigh. If Alex read half as much as him or Ariilyn, he might know a few words. Their dad pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Bed. Both of you. Why can't you behave like your sister?"

"It's only 'cos she knows how not to get caught," Alex complained under his breath as they left miserably for the seventh floor Gryffindor common room. Hands stuffed in his now empty pockets and shoulders slumped, Alex looked the picture of dejection.

"Think he's gone back to his room yet?" he asked. Michael took a few more silent steps then smiled evilly.

"Yep. He's going to want to talk to mum before we can blackmail him. Come on." Alex's shoulders straightened as a look of delight flashed across his slender face.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Two thirds of the Lupin pups carefully sneaked down to the dungeons and stood outside the wall that separated them from the Slytherin common room.

"Ready?" Mikey asked, holding out his hand with a flourishing bow.

"As always," his brother replied with a mock curtsy and took the offered hand. Together they said the password that had taken them four days to get a hold of.

"Potentiae nobilitatis," they chorused. The dark bricks opened up to the hallway leading to the Slytherin common room. Thankfully, the common room was empty and Alex pulled a bottle from a secret pocket hidden in the lining of his school robes.

"Belladonna. Good thinking," Mikey complimented. Alex pulled out his wand and uncorked the bottle before waving the wand over it, chanting the proper spell. The small brown flakes rose into the air and compressed, forming a dust-like powder. With another wave of his wand, the dust flew up the stairs and into the boys and girls dormitories. They waited a few minutes for the sedative to take effect then went up to the boys' rooms, making sure only to get the few of the sixth and seventh years they wanted. After finishing their mischief there, they moved to the girls' side, walking up the banister to avoid the spelled staircase, again being careful only to get the two seventh years. Once that was done, they left as silently as they had come.

The next morning, they slept in as they usually did, only making the last quarter hour of breakfast. Everyone was talking about it. By 'it', I mean the latest prank on the Slytherins. The few unlucky ones that got magicked were subjected to the most wild of stares and loudest of snickers when they left. Most of the other Slytherins chose to eat in their common room (Slughorn allowed it and sent for food for them) instead of falling victim next. Very few were brave enough to leave until the culprit was caught.

"Bout time you two got here," their year-mate and best friend Drake Summers said through a slice of toast lathered in jam. "Did you see what happened to that crew of Slytherins? Bald, the lot of them! I nearly died laughing when Cathleen came out. Merlin, it was funny! And she thought she could pull off the bald look. Pfft, not with that lumpy head." Mikey took a bite from his pancakes while Alex tried to swallow a boiled egg whole.

"She had it coming. So did the rest of them. I wonder who in their right mind would do it," Mikey said after swallowing.

"Yes, I wonder," Drake agreed, his hazel eyes laughing and his wide mouth set in the grin it was made for. Drake chuckled softly and flipped his light brown hair out of his face. He knew who was behind it, just as he always did, taking particular joy in knowing, sometimes assisting, and often helping the Lupin boys play off as innocent. Alex choked, drawing the boys' attention.

"Alexander Remus Lupin! Won't you learn to chew your food?" Anastasia Dulat admonished the boy, patting him soundly on the back, though her honey eyes worried. Though a year above them and captain of the house quidditch team, she often sat with the boys.

"Well if you keep fussing over me, I just might put it off another few months. You're cute when you're worried," Alex teased. Anastasia blushed and punched him lightly in the shoulder, laughing it off.

"If you two will stop flirting..." Drake said, slightly annoyed. He had a crush on Anastasia since he first attended Hogwarts and cherished every memory of the girl from when he studied with her to when she just pushed a strand of strawberry blond hair from her face. The twins delighted in teasing him about it.

"Uh oh. Dad at five o'clock," Mikey muttered under his breath.

"No, we have him second class. Just like always, bro. Oh," Alex said as Professor Lupin loomed over them. "You meant THAT five o'clock."

"Duh."

"If we might have a word with you two," their father said in a dangerously calm voice. Their sister's level gaze followed them as they left, a small smile tugging at her mouth. Alex and Mikey followed their father from the Gryffindor table to the doors of the Great Hall, where they turned and bowed extravagantly. The room laughed and cheered, now knowing for sure who was behind the latest bout of trouble.

Remus led his sons to the Headmaster's office. McGonagall sat behind the large oak desk, her stern face even more severe than usual. The many portraits of previous headmasters and mistresses either snored or glared disapprovingly at them.

"So you two are back again. So soon? Don't waste time, do you boys?" she asked.

"No ma'am. We like a steady flow of business," Mikey told her calmly. Remus slapped a hand to his face, the twitch at the mouth unseen by anyone in the room.

"Business, you say? And what sort of business is that?" she demanded, her accent making the words sound even harsher.

"Mischief," Alex replied promptly. McGonagall sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"As sixth years, you're supposed to be setting a good example. Alright, you two. Two weeks of detention. Your usual punishment. And NO MAGIC to help." Alex groaned. Anastasia was going to kill them.

"Would you prefer the other punishment?" the headmistress inquired with a raised eyebrow. Your mother didn't like her last trip down here to straighten you out and I doubt she will enjoy this one." The twins were quick to reassure her that their usual punishment would suffice.

"And who knows? Maybe it'll teach us this time," Mikey whispered to his brother. Alex bit his tongue to keep from laughing. Minerva McGonagall sighed.

"Alright. Dismissed." Remus followed his children out and led them into his office. He sighed heavily as he sat in his chair behind his desk.

"Alright, spill. How did you do it?" he asked quietly. His sons shrugged, not looking him in the eye. "Now."

"We spelled them so that their hair appeared to be gone. It was a simple illusion spell coupled with a sensory potion. And maybe we might have thrown in mood enhancing potion to amplify fear and paranoia," Alex explained to the floor. His father's disapproving gaze still stung him. It was no use to even try to lie. Not that he would really, but Remus kept a griffin feather in his classroom to keep the bullshit out. It just made it difficult for them to twist the truth, sons of a marauder or no. Though he would never let on in this situation, Remus was very proud of his boys' magical abilities. Anyone who make such a specific spell on their own…well, they certainly knew how to think out of the box. And the rulebook.

"Why do you keep doing this? Do you enjoy the sadistic strain on my nerves?! You know, you don't have to be here. You two could very easily be expelled. I'm not even sure why you haven't been yet."

"The tolerance of the Marauders might be a good reference point," Mikey said simply. Remus pinched the bridge of his nose, as he did last night. It had become a normal gesture when dealing with his sons, as it helped stave off headaches.

"Why do you do this?" he half pleaded. The boys looked at each other then at their dad.

"Someone made a wish," they replied in unison.

"Huh?" Remus asked bewildered. The bell rang.

"We need to get to class, professor," Alex said sweetly. Remus sighed and nodded, reluctantly remembering he was just as bad when he was their age.

"We aren't done yet. And tell Miss Dulat that if she kills you, she has to clean up the mess." They left hurriedly.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"ANOTHER ONE?!" Anastasia demanded at break when Mikey told her their fate.

"Actually, we have another 10. Two weeks and no outings on weekends," Alex said disgustedly. Anastasia rounded on them.

"What were you two thinking?! Don't you understand we need to practice? How can we practice without a keeper and a seeker?! It doesn't work!" Alex hid behind his brother, who cringed, waiting for a blow. Anastasia could be scary when she wanted to be, 5' even or no.

"Dad said that if you killed us, you'd have to clean up the mess!" Alex blurted.

"Professor Lupin?" The boys nodded. A light blush decorated her tan cheeks. As stated, she had a major crush on the DADA teacher.

"Well if it will displease him that much, I suppose that I'll have to let you off easy," she muttered and punched each in the shoulder twice.

"Two for flinching."

"That went well," Mikey said as she huffed off.

"We have a few more minutes," Alex said. "Should we check on Boyer?" Mikey looked back at his brother and nodded.

They found the first year Hufflepuff in no time, holed up in the bathroom on the fourth floor.

"How ya doin', Castor?" Mikey asked the boy softly, handing him another towel to dry his face.

"I'm alright, Mr. Michael, thank you." Mikey winced.

"I told you, it's Mikey." Castor nodded, but wouldn't look at them. The closest he got was their reflection in the mirror above the sink.

"Sure, ignore me," Alex said playfully and draped an arm around the young boy and tussled the raven hair with his other hand.

"Of course not, Mr. ah, of course not Alex."

"So did you see Cathleen?" Mikey asked the small, scrawny boy. He nodded enthusiastically.

"Vain bitch deserved it," Castor said then slapped a hand across his mouth. They laughed and clapped the boy on the back.

"Good job," Mikey told him. "Now you just need to tell her to her face."

"Stand up for yourself. Show some bloody gumption," Alex told him.

"Easy for you two to say- you're good at spells. I'd just get blown over. They're bloody seniors for crying out loud!" Alex sighed and leaned against the wall. Mikey frowned slightly in thought.

"Practice."

"Why can't you teach me?" Castor asked quietly. Alex looked at his brother and back again.

"We aren't that great at teaching. Mikey is patient enough, but we're usually really busy. What with quidditch and detentions and all… It wouldn't be fair to you," he explained kindly. The young Hufflepuff nodded.

"Don't worry about it. Just keep your head up high and let us know if they give you any more trouble." Castor nodded again and smiled. The bell rang, signaling the end of break, so the boys started out.

"Thanks for making my wish come true," he said as they headed out the door. The Lupins waved without looking back as they strode out the door.

After dinner and on their way to detention, Mikey held out a hand over his brother's chest.

"Do you hear that?" he asked. Alex tilted his head, frowning slightly, just barely able to make out whimpering.

"Yeah. Let's go." Just around the corner, a few Slytherins were picking on Castor Boyer. He had a black eye now and his wand lay a few feet away.

"I told you I wanted my quills sharpened a quarter of an inch. Not half an inch!" SLAP "And you little sneak, did you not see what happened to us?! It was all your fault! I know it!"

"You know, hazing is strictly forbidden," Alex said casually. Mikey was leaning against the wall, twirling his own wand between his fingers.

"And straight out bullying can lead to expulsion. So take our advice and stop if you know what's good for you."

"You two! You got rid of my hair! You little bitches!" Cathleen yelled, her normally pale face quickly turning a blotchy red.

"It's fixed now," Alex pointed out. "You're the bitch, slapping around little first years." The five boys with her pulled out their wands, now ignoring Castor.

"And 'bitch' is a term for females," Mikey said, unfazed.

"Well, you do tend to fix your hair as much as one," his brother said, smiling. Mikey looked at him, not amused.

"Just because I prefer to use a comb over my fingers doesn't mean you can call me a girl."

"Hello, we're talking about MY hair over here," Cathleen interrupted.

"Oh, sorry. You just weren't a priority," Mikey jeered.

"WHAT?!" she drew her wand and threw a jinx at Mikey. Her friends took that as their cue and started to do the same. As they came at the brothers, both boys swept their wands in front of them, almost carelessly parrying the shots. Without a glace to one another, the two cast the same spell. The Slytherins rose from the floor and rammed into the wall, staying there.

"Leave the little ones alone, you brat. Same goes for all of you," Mikey told them, shadows growing deeper on his face, giving him a more ominous look.

"Here we thought we'd teach you guys a lesson. You thought you were all that, so we played on your vanity. But you came back for more. So we gave it to you. Third time around, something might get broken," Alex warned, his eyes almost glowing hungrily.

"Come on, Boyer. Let's get you fixed up," Mikey told the boy kindly and held out a hand. The small boy took it with a shaky and embarrassed grin, though his large light blue eyes held nothing but gratitude.

"Ooh, but you need to come with us to see Filch first. We need an alibi for being late to detention," Alex told him with his father's lopsided smile.

"During the second half of lunch, we'll work with you on defensive magic, starting tomorrow. Just in case. You know, if you don't mind missing part of lunch," Mikey told the boy with a wink. Castor nodded, enthused.

"Yes, sir!"

The next night they returned to the common room after their detention to find three girls huddled in a corner. One was sniffing. Another was their sister.

"What's this, then?" Mikey asked them, concerned. The girls turned to them, the one that was sniffing wiped her face, trying to hide her tears. Alex tossed her a handkerchief, noting the busted lip, split left eyebrow, and multiple bruises. It wasn't the first time he mentally thanked his 'Uncle Lestat' for insisting that proper gentlemen carry handkerchiefs.

"Jessie tried to stand up for herself against those Ravenclaw bullies so they beat the tar out of her," Ariilyn explained, anger barely contained in her voice.

"Why don't you see Madam Pomfrey? She'd fix ya right," Alex told her, hiding clenched fists. Jessie shook her head hard, light brown hair whipping around empathetically.

"She'd ask questions. And I'm no sneak," she said as she mopped her face. Mikey smiled as he kneeled next to her (her friends got out of the way) and lifted her chin.

"You're a very brave girl," he told her. "Our mum taught us some healing stuff. Lynn could try to do it, if you'd prefer. She's better at that sort of thing than we are." He glanced at his sister, wondering why she hadn't done it already. Jessie nodded, gray eyes fighting to hold back another wave of tears. Ariilyn took a few deep breaths, muttering something about calming down first, but pulled her straight hair into a messy bun before taking out her wand. A few spells later, Jessie didn't have a scratch on her. Their sister shook her hands out and paced a little, saying that healing magic and irritation didn't go well together.

"Who did you say did this?" Alex asked from by the fireplace, anger visible on every feature. He drew the line at hitting defenseless little girls. Though his brother felt exactly the same, he hid his anger better. Once Lynn had her jitters out, she sat back down to place a comforting hand on the little girl's back.

"The upper class Ravenclaws. They think because they're from noble families, they're better," Jessie's friend said. She had a glass of water that she kept trying to coax Jessie into drinking, but to no avail.

"They should have been Slytherins," Mikey muttered as he checked his sister's on Jessie's face.

"I said noble families, not pureblood. There's a difference." Alex repeated his brother's words.

"I just wish they knew what it felt like," Jessie told her knees as she drew them in close. Alex and Mikey smiled wolfishly at one another. _An invitation_.

"You should get to bed. It's late," Mikey told them and offered a hand to Jessie. She took it and allowed him to help her up. Hesitantly, she gave her healer a quick hug in gratitude and scurried up the stairs, her friend following.

"Father always said we should use magic to help and protect others. She wished for help, wouldn't you agree, Alex?" He chuckled darkly.

"Yes. It would be rude to decline such a lovely invitation." Ariilyn turned to them, fury painting every line of her face.

"I want in," she growled. The only surprise her brothers had was that she didn't tell them to back off, claiming this wish for herself. They expressed as much. Ariilyn looked at the fireplace. The light flickered in her eyes, making her look almost demented. It had been a while since they'd seen her this furious. The last time was when they made the pact about wishes. During their second year, the triplets realized how bad and creative bullies could be and the teachers couldn't always be around to dole out punishment. After all the stories their parents told them growing up- the ones about their lives at Hogwarts and the wars- they knew how important protecting others was. Not only that, but being responsible with magic and only doing things for the greater good. To limit themselves, they agreed to only help those who really deserved it and who wished or asked for it. Ariilyn referred to them as wishes, thinking about how fairies granted wishes. Her brothers thought it very girly until they read up on how twisted the fae could be. Then they were cool with it.

Ariilyn looked back at her brothers, eyes less demented now that they were no longer reflecting the fire, but no less determined.

"I need your help, that's why," she explained. What I have in mind is big magic." They nodded at sat down, waiting for her to describe their war plan.

The next night, they sat in McGonagall's office again.

"It's bad enough with your pranks, but _roughhousing_?! I am very disappointed in all three of you." The triplets sat quietly, not about to apologize for something they weren't sorry about. "A curse that inflicts pain! What were you thinking?!"

"It only causes him pain when he causes someone else pain!" Ariilyn near shouted as she stood quickly. Mikey laid a hand on his sister's arm, easing her back into her chair. Despite the circumstances, he couldn't help but find Lynn's outbursts amusing, especially considering how calm and collected she often portrayed herself.

"We were thinking that Jonathan Altair needed to know what it felt like to get beat up by someone stronger than he is. The spell we put on him is a simple reminder of that. He won't be beating on anyone else for a while," Mikey said evenly. McGonagall stared.

"Mr. Altair is a model student. He hasn't been written up for anything and his grades are quite high."

"That's because those little ones don't want to be a sneak first off, then they're too afraid to tattle on someone related to Her Majesty," Alex growled.

"God save the Queen," Mikey put in formally.

"We don't usually go this far, ma'am, but we draw the line and beating up a little girl because she wouldn't bow when he walked by," Lynn continued, her amber eyes flashing wolfishly.

"I haven't had a single complaint about him, though!" the headmistress replied, flabbergasted. "Especially not this last time."

"And you won't find her if you look. We cleaned her up well enough and she won't talk," Mikey told her pleasantly. McGonagall sighed.

"Honorable as your intentions were, you cannot, I repeat- CAN NOT- take disciplinary actions. You're still students! Not vigilantes!"

"If we don't stand up for them, who will?!" Alex demanded. Mikey smiled in an almost predatory way while his sister glowered. He leaned forward in his chair, elbows on knees to address the headmistress. Only the white knuckles from clenching his hands together gave any indication of his own fury.

"We've been brought up to use our magic as protectors. Johnny boy won't be hurting anyone for a while. It's in our blood to do what is right, even if you don't think so. And we will do it."


End file.
